Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly ambushed the convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Borno State, Engr. Mustapha Gubio.
Sources who spoke to Daily Trust said the incident occurred as Gubio and his entourage were returning to Maiduguri after a thank-you visit to the border town of Damasak, on Thursday evening.
While effort are being intensified to ascertain if there were casualties, security source revealed that the insurgents had planted landmines along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway, triggering explosions.
“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.
Damasak, where the attack took place, located in the northern Borno, is about 190km from Maiduguri, the state capital.
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.
