By Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja and Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Senator representing Borno South and former Senate leader, Ali Ndume, has denied reports that he said former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai (retd), narrowly escaped a Boko Haram attack in Borno State.
General Buratai, in a statement by his Media Aide, Brig. General Sani Usman Kukasheka (retd), had denied that he was attacked.
He said at the time of the alleged incident, he was in Abuja where he celebrated the Eid festivities in the company of family, friends and well-wishers.
“This baseless rumour is a product of the reckless imagination of the purveyors of fake news, individuals whose sole aim is to malign him, spread fear, confusion and misinformation. The fabricators of these actions are not only mischievous but also deeply irresponsible and must be condemned in the strongest terms.
“I sincerely extend my heartfelt and profound appreciation to the countless patriotic and well-meaning Nigerians, friends, associates and admirers of His Excellency, who reached out with genuine concern, prayers and goodwill. Your overwhelming show of love and support is deeply cherished and speaks volumes about the enduring respect and affection we are privileged to receive from across the country and beyond.
“Let this serve as a reminder to the harbingers of fake news, that truth will always prevail. No amount of falsehood or malicious propaganda can tarnish the image of a man who has devoted his life to the service of our great nation.”
But Ndume clarified in a statement that media reports suggesting he made such a claim during his appearance on national TV were a misrepresentation of his comments. He explained that his reference was to Buratai town not the retired general who shares the name and hails from the community.
“It was Buratai town in Borno State that was attacked, not the person of the erstwhile Chief of Army Staff,” Ndume stated, noting that the town was targeted by insurgents near a military operations base.
During the programme, the senator had said: “Even two days ago, Buratai (town) was attacked in front of the operations base in Borno. But the soldiers stood up to them. They [the attackers] burnt down some of our assets, like MRAPs, tanks, and heavy-duty machine guns. Sometimes they steal these and go with them.”
Ndume also expressed concern over worsening insecurity across the country, saying, “The situation is getting terrible in Borno. It’s bad in all the six geo-political zones, except the South-South, where economic sabotage like oil theft is the issue. The South-West is the only region that is relatively safe.”
He urged journalists to avoid misreporting, warning that inaccuracies could harm the reputations of public figures and undermine trust in the media.
“I am surprised that the town Buratai could be misconstrued as the person of General Buratai, who incidentally hails from the town,” he added.