Suspected Boko Haram militants have ambushed the convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Borno State, Engr. Mustapha Gubio.
The incident, reports said, happened yesterday evening while the candidate and his entourage were returning to Maiduguri following a thank-you visit to the border town of Damasak.
The state capital Maiduguri is around 190km away from Damasak, which is in the northern Borno, Daily Trust writes.
An unnamed security source said the rebels had laid landmines on the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway.
“Unfortunately, the police armoured vehicle at the head of the convoy hit one of the explosive devices, which caused a blast,” he claimed.
“We safely walked into Damasak and spent close to 40 minutes there. “On our way back the insurgents put mines on the road and the armoured vehicle that was leading the convoy ran over it and it went off,” the insider added.
After the explosion the terrorists tried to ambush the convoy.
But a joint squad of courageous security personnel including the military, police and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) quickly sprang into action and engaged the terrorists in a deadly gun duel.
We had to stop, and take a position, waiting for the rest of the trucks in the convoy to catch up. “We saw the movement of the rebels while we were waiting and we quickly engaged them,” the person said.
The security personnel repulsed the attempt and averted more damage or casualty to the main convoy but the police armoured vehicle was severely damaged by the bomb detonation.
The Gubio-Kareto-Damasak road is an infamously hazardous corridor.
It is a transit route for Boko Haram insurgents heading from their Lake Chad strongholds toward Alagarma, the Sambisa Forest and areas of Yobe State.
It has always been a deadly hot-spot for persistent ambushes of military convoys and civilian travellers because of its strategic significance for the logistics and movement of terrorists.
It is a road that is used frequently by commuters and by security forces who are always under fear of attack by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and surprise attacks. It is one of the most dangerous areas in the current conflict.
The ambush yesterday points to the ongoing security concerns facing political individuals and campaigns in Borno State. Read Political News
The incident also reminded one of prior political violence in the region, particularly the terrible killing of Modu Fannami Gubio, the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) governorship candidate who was shot and killed by gunmen in Maiduguri in January 2011.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nahum Kenneth Daso were futile as he did not respond to our calls and text messages made to his phone.
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