Mustapha Gubio, on Thursday Evening, Detonating a Landmine That Destroyed a Police Armoured Vehicle

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists ambushed the convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Borno State, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, on Thursday evening, detonating a landmine that destroyed a police armoured vehicle. The attack occurred as Gubio and his entourage were returning to Maiduguri after a thank-you visit to the border town of Damasak, located in northern Borno, about 190km from the state capital.

A security, said the insurgents had planted landmines along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway. "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, the source said. Following the blast, the terrorists attempted to ambush the convoy, but a combined team of security operatives comprising the military, police, and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) swiftly responded, engaging the attackers in a fierce gunfight.

"We had to park and take positions, waiting for the remaining vehicles in the convoy to arrive." In the course of waiting, we noticed the movement of the insurgents and swiftly engaged them, the source added. The security operatives successfully repelled the attack and prevented further damage or casualties to the main convoy, though the police armoured vehicle suffered severe destruction from the blast. The Gubio-Kareto-Damasak route is a notoriously volatile corridor, serving as a transit route for Boko Haram insurgents moving from their Lake Chad enclaves toward Alagarma, the Sambisa Forest, and parts of Yobe State.

The area has long remained a dangerous hotspot for ambushes targeting military convoys and civilian travelers under the constant threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IE Ds). Thursday's ambush underscores the persistent security challenges facing political figures and campaigns in Borno State, evoking memories of the January 2011 assassination of Modu Fannami Gubio, governorship candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), who was shot and killed by gunmen in Maiduguri. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nahum Kenneth Daso, for an official comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to text messages.