Ex-Army Chief Buratai survives Boko Haram ambush in Borno

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retd.), narrowly escaped death on Friday after his convoy was ambushed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

The incident, which took place near a frontline military base, was confirmed by Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday evening, Ndume described the attack as a troubling sign of the worsening security situation in the region.

“Just two days ago, General Buratai was attacked at the front operations base in Borno.

Army unveils armoured tankers in Maiduguri

“His team responded gallantly, but the insurgents still managed to destroy several military assets,” Ndume revealed.

The attackers reportedly targeted and damaged high-value military equipment, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), tanks, and heavy machine guns.

In some cases, the insurgents were said to have looted weapons and equipment after the assault.

Details regarding casualties from the encounter remain unclear, but a fierce exchange of gunfire reportedly took place between the insurgents and the troops accompanying the former army chief.

General Buratai, who served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after he assumed office.

Despite growing calls for their removal due to rising insecurity and overstayed tenures, Buhari resisted pressure to replace the service chiefs for years.

Eventually, in early 2021, the presidency announced that the service chiefs had voluntarily resigned, as confirmed by former presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina.