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 occurred as the candidate and his entourage were returning to Maiduguri after a thank-you visit to the border town of Damasak, a border town that is about 190km from Maiduguri, the state capital.
A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the insurgents had planted landmines along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway.
He said the police armoured vehicle leading the convoy unfortunately ran 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,” the source said.
Following the explosion, the terrorists attempted to ambush the convoy.
However, 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.
The report states 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 from the bomb blast.