TheCable

Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, on Friday ordered his convoy to evacuate some passengers whose vehicle broke down along Maiduguri-Damboa road in Borno state.

The road, which links Damboa, Biu, Chibok and neighboring states, was recently reopened by the Nigerian Army after over a year of closure due to activities of insurgents.

Buratai, who was on the route on Friday, reportedly ensured that all the stranded passengers were evacuated into one of the vehicles in his convoy.

Emmanuel John, driver of the faulty vehicle, told journalists that he was on his way from Maiduguri in the morning when the vehicle developed fault.

He said he was planning to manage the car to the nearest military checkpoint and arrange for it to be towed back to Maiduguri when the chief of army staff arrived.

“I ply this road everyday to Chibok and back to Maiduguri,” he said.

The driver said he and his passengers were worried before the arrival of Buratai’s convoy, adding that the gesture came as a huge relief.

Buratai later visited troops before proceeding to the headquarters of 25 task force brigade in Damboa.