By John Alechenu, Abuja

Former Senate Leader and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has debunked trending media reports claiming that former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai (Rtd), narrowly escaped death following an attack by Boko Haram terrorists on his convoy over the weekend.

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The reports, which attributed the claim to Senator Ndume during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday political programme Politics Today, were described by him as misleading and a misrepresentation of his actual statements.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ndume clarified that it was Buratai town, not General Buratai himself, that was attacked.

“It was Buratai town in Borno State that was attacked, not the person of the erstwhile Chief of Army Staff,” Ndume stated.

General Tukur Buratai hails from Buratai town, located in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, a region that has experienced persistent insurgent activities for over a decade.

Reiterating his comments during the interview, Ndume said:

“Even two days ago, Buratai (town) was attacked in front of the operations base in Borno. But the soldiers stood up to them. However, the attackers burned down some of our assets.

“These days, they often burn assets like Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), tanks, and heavy-duty machine guns. Sometimes they even steal this equipment.”

Ndume further highlighted the deteriorating security situation across Nigeria:

“The situation is getting terrible in Borno. In fact, the security situation is bad across all six geopolitical zones, except the South-South. Even there, we are grappling with economic sabotage like oil theft. The South-West is the only region that is relatively safe.”

The former Senate Whip urged journalists to uphold accuracy in their reportage and avoid sensationalism.

“I am surprised that Buratai town could be misconstrued as referring to the person of General Buratai, who, incidentally, hails from the town,” he concluded.