… explosion as convoy runs into landmines planted by insurgents along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway
. Police armoured vehicle leading convoy runs over explosive devices, triggers blast
The convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Borno State, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, has been ambushed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
The incident, it was gathered, occurred as the APC candidate and his entourage were returning to Maiduguri after a thank-you visit to the border town of Damasak, on Thursday evening.
Damasak is located in the northern Borno, is about 190km from Maiduguri, the state capital.
It was gathered from security sources that the insurgents had planted landmines along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway.
Police armoured vehicle leading the convoy was said to have unknowingly run over one of the explosive devices, triggering a 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,” a security source said.
Immediately after the explosion, the terrorists were said to have attempted to ambush the APC candidate’s convoy.
But a combined team of gallant 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,” a security source added.
It was gathered that while the security operatives successfully repelled the attack and prevented further damage or casualties to the main convoy, the police armoured vehicle suffered severe destruction due to the bomb blast.
The Gubio-Kareto-Damasak route is a notoriously volatile corridor.
It serves as a transit route for Boko Haram insurgents moving from their Lake Chad enclaves toward Alagarma, the Sambisa Forest, and parts of Yobe State.
Because of its strategic importance for terrorist logistics and movement, the area has long remained a dangerous hotspot for relentless ambushes targeting both military convoys and civilian travelers.
Commuters and security forces alike routinely navigate the treacherous route under the constant threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and sudden raids, cementing its status as one of the most perilous zones in the ongoing insurgency.
Thursday’s ambush underscores the persistent security challenges facing political figures and campaigns in Borno State.
The incident has also evoked memories of past political violence in the region, notably the tragic 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.
Police in the state had yet to issue any statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
