Boko Haram ambush fails to stop Borno candidate

Abimbola Joseph

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents targeted the convoy of Borno State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, in a landmine attack on Thursday evening.

The assault took place along the volatile Gubio–Kareto–Damasak highway as the candidate’s entourage was returning to Maiduguri following a brief visit to the border town of Damasak, situated roughly 190 kilometres north of the state capital.

According to a security source who requested anonymity, insurgents had embedded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the road. A police officer armoured vehicle leading the motorcade detonated one of the mines, triggering a violent blast that severely destroyed the vehicle.

“We entered Damasak safely and spent about 40 minutes there,” the source revealed. “On our way back, the insurgents planted mines on the road. The armoured vehicle leading the convoy drove over one and exploded.”

Following the detonation, armed militants attempted to ambush the remaining vehicles. However, a joint defence team comprising military personnel, police officers, and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) returned fire, engaging the attackers in an intense firefight and repelling the assault before further casualties or damage could occur.

The Gubio–Kareto–Damasak axis remains one of the most perilous transit corridors in north-eastern Nigeria, serving as a key logistical supply route for Boko Haram fighters moving between enclaves in Lake Chad, Sambisa Forest, and Yobe State.

Thursday’s incident highlights the continuous threats confronting political figures in the region, drawing stark comparisons to the January 2011 assassination of Modu Fannami Gubio, an ANPP governorship candidate gunned down in Maiduguri.

Attempts to obtain official comment from the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nahum Kenneth Daso, were unsuccessful prior to publication.