The convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Borno State, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, came under heavy attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway in northern Borno State.
The attack occurred on Thursday afternoon as Gubio and members of his entourage were returning to Maiduguri after a thank-you visit to Damasak, where the APC candidate had visited party supporters following his emergence as the party’s consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Damasak, located in northern Borno near Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic, is in Mobbar Local Government Area and is about 156km by road from Maiduguri, the state capital.
The Borno State Police Command confirmed the attack on Friday, saying the convoy was ambushed around Kareto community at about 2:30pm.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Borno State, ASP Nahum Daso, said the attack was swiftly repelled by a combined team of security personnel comprising the police, military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS), Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and vigilante groups.
“Yes, the convoy of the gubernatorial candidate of the APC, Engineer Mustapha Gubio, came under heavy attack around Kareto community at about 2:30pm, but was swiftly repelled by a combined team of our security forces including Police, soldiers, NSCDC, DSS, CTJF and vigilante groups,” Daso said.
He added: “The terrorists laid ambush with planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) targeting the convoy and also fired several Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) but they were repelled with no casualty recorded from the side of the security forces or civilians.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, also said police tactical operatives counter-engaged the suspected terrorists and forced them to retreat into the surrounding bush.
According to him, the tactical team subsequently scanned and cleared the immediate axis to neutralise possible secondary explosive threats before the convoy was safely evacuated to a secure location.
He said no casualties were recorded among members of the entourage, which included the governorship candidate, government officials and other political stakeholders.
A security source, however, said a police armoured vehicle leading the convoy ran over one of the explosives planted along the highway, triggering a powerful blast.
“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.
According to the source, the explosion was followed by an attempt by the terrorists to ambush the convoy.
“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.
A separate source who was part of the convoy described the incident as a terrifying moment, saying the attackers fired several RPGs followed by sporadic gunfire. The source said security personnel attached to the convoy successfully repelled the attackers, while police armoured vehicles were damaged.
The police armoured vehicle was reportedly severely damaged in the explosion, although no member of the convoy was killed or injured.
The Gubio-Kareto-Damasak route is a notoriously volatile corridor that has remained vulnerable to attacks by insurgents.
The route serves as a transit corridor connecting communities in northern Borno and areas close to the Lake Chad basin, where Boko Haram and other insurgent groups have maintained operational networks.
Because of its strategic importance, the area has long remained a dangerous hotspot for ambushes targeting security personnel, political movements and civilian travellers.
Commuters and security forces navigating the route face the persistent threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), RPG attacks and sudden raids.
Thursday’s attack has further highlighted the persistent security challenges facing political figures and campaign movements in Borno State as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The incident has also evoked memories of past political violence in the region, notably the assassination of Modu Fannami Gubio, who was the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2011 election.
Modu Gubio was shot and killed by gunmen in Maiduguri in January 2011.
Despite the latest attack, security operatives successfully repelled the suspected terrorists, cleared the affected route and secured the convoy.
The convoy subsequently continued its journey, with no casualty recorded among Gubio, members of his entourage, security personnel or other civilians, according to the police.
