The convoy of the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State, Mustapha Gubio, was on Thursday, September 3, 2026, ambushed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
The attack once again highlighted the serious security risks facing political campaigns in Borno, just as it brought about memories of January 2011, when Modu Fannami Gubio, then ANPP governorship candidate, was shot and killed by gunmen in Maiduguri.
Information pieced together indicated that the attack occurred as Gubio and his entourage were returning to Maiduguri after a thank-you visit to the border town of Damasak, about 190km from Maiduguri, the State capital.
A security source told journalists that the insurgents planted landmines along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway, saying that an armoured vehicle was hit by landmine.
According to the security source; “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 that the running over the land mine by the police armoured vehicle triggered a massive blast that left it severely destroyed.
He further said that shortly after the explosion, the terrorists moved decisively to ambush the rest of the convoy, but a combined team of military personnel, police officers, and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) quickly engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle and successfully repelled them.
According to the source; “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. No casualties were recorded in the main convoy. The candidate was unhurt and safe”.
The Gubio-Kareto-Damasak route is a notorious for insurgent activity as it serves as a transit corridor for Boko Haram terrorists moving from Lake Chad enclaves to Alagarma, Sambisa Forest, and parts of Yobe State.
As a result of its strategic importance to terrorist logistics, the area remains one of the most dangerous zones in the fight against insurgency, with constant threats of IEDs and sudden raids targeting both military and civilian vehicles.
