The former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai narrowly escaped death last week Friday as suspected Boko Haram insurgents opened fire on his convoy in Borno State.

Senator Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, revealed this while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday.

Ndume said Buratai and his accompanying soldiers were ambushed near a frontline military base.

“We are in a dire security situation. Just two days ago, Buratai was attacked at the front operations base in Borno.

“His team responded gallantly, but the insurgents managed to destroy several military assets,” he said.

He said the insurgents targeted high-value equipment including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPVs), tanks, and machine guns, destroying some and also made away with some weaponry and equipment.

“The situation in Borno is deteriorating rapidly.

“Insurgents now move freely, torching and stealing military equipment. It is becoming a full-blown crisis,” the lawmaker said.

“All six geopolitical zones are experiencing security challenges to varying degrees.

“Even in the South-South, we are grappling with economic sabotage like oil theft. At this point, the South-West appears to be the only relatively safe region.”

Buratai, who served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021 and was a central figure in Nigeria country’s counterinsurgency campaign under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Vanguard News