The convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Borno State, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, was reportedly hit by a bomb blast on Thursday evening while returning to Maiduguri from Damasak, where the candidate had gone on a thank-you visit.
Damasak, located in northern Borno, is about 190 kilometres from Maiduguri and remains one of the areas affected by persistent insurgency.
A security source, who spoke anonymously, said suspected Boko Haram terrorists planted improvised explosive devices along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway, with an armoured police vehicle leading the convoy triggering one of the explosives.
“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 blast was followed by an attempt by the insurgents to ambush the convoy, forcing the security personnel accompanying the candidate to take defensive positions.
“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 combined response of military personnel, police officers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) reportedly repelled the attackers, while the armoured vehicle was severely damaged in the explosion.
The Gubio-Kareto-Damasak route is considered a volatile corridor, with insurgents reportedly using the area to move between hideouts around the Lake Chad region, Alagarno, the Sambisa axis and parts of Yobe State. The route has also recorded threats involving improvised explosive devices and ambushes.
The incident has again highlighted the security risks surrounding political activities in parts of Borno State, particularly as political actors increasingly move across remote communities ahead of the 2027 elections.
The attack also carries historical resonance in Borno politics. In January 2011, Modu Fannami Gubio, then the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), was assassinated alongside several others in Maiduguri.
The Borno State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Nahum Kenneth Daso, could not be reached for immediate comment on Thursday night.
If you want, I can also make it more dramatic and breaking-news styled, while keeping the wording legally cautious around the Boko Haram attribution.
