The convoy of Borno State APC governorship candidate, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, was attacked Thursday evening after suspected Boko Haram insurgents detonated a landmine on the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway.
Sources said the candidate and his entourage were returning to Maiduguri from a thank-you visit to Damasak, a border town about 190km north of the state capital.
The police armoured vehicle leading the convoy ran over an explosive device planted on the road, triggering a blast that severely damaged it.
Shortly after, the insurgents attempted to ambush the convoy. A combined team of military personnel, police officers, and Civilian JTF members responded and engaged the attackers in a gunfight, forcing them to retreat. No casualties were recorded in the main convoy.
“We entered Damasak safely and spent about 40 minutes there. On our way back, the insurgents planted mines on the road, and the armoured vehicle that led the convoy drove over it and exploded,” a security source said. “We had to park and take positions. In the course of waiting, we noticed the movement of the insurgents and swiftly engaged them.”
The Gubio-Kareto-Damasak route is a known hotspot. It serves as a transit corridor for Boko Haram fighters moving between Lake Chad enclaves, Alagarma, Sambisa Forest, and parts of Yobe State. Both security forces and civilians face constant threats of IEDs and raids along the road.
The attack underscores the persistent security challenges facing political campaigns in Borno. It also recalls the January 2011 assassination of ANPP governorship candidate Modu Fannami Gubio, who was killed by gunmen in Maiduguri.
Efforts to reach Borno Police PPRO, DSP Nahum Kenneth Daso, for an official comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
