Police Confirm Boko Haram Attack on APC Borno Governorship Candidate’s Convoy

The Borno State Police Command has confirmed an attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on the convoy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Mustapha Gubio.

The attack, which occurred on Thursday, took place along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway in the northern part of the state.

Vanguard had earlier reported the incident.

Speaking on the attack on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Keneth Daso, said the convoy came under attack around the Kareto community at about 2:30pm.

According to him, the convoy was travelling from Damasak to Maiduguri after Gubio and members of his team had paid a thank-you visit to APC members for their support following his emergence as the party’s consensus governorship candidate in its recent primary election.

“Yes, the convoy of the gubernatorial candidate of the APC, Engineer Mustapha Gubio, came under heavy attack around Kareto community at about 2:30pm, but was swiftly repelled by a combined team of our security forces including Police, soldiers, NSCDC, DSS, CTJF and vigilante groups,” Daso said.

He explained that the attackers reportedly laid an ambush using planted improvised explosive devices, IEDs, targeting the convoy before firing several rocket-propelled grenades, RPGs.

Daso said the security forces successfully repelled the attackers, adding that no casualty was recorded among security personnel or civilians.

“The terrorists laid ambush with planted Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, targeting the convoy and also fired several Rocket Propelled Grenades, RPGs, but they were repelled with no casualty recorded from the side of the security forces or civilians,” he added.

Meanwhile, sources told our correspondent that a police armoured vehicle attached to the convoy was damaged during the encounter.

Damasak, located in Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State, is about 156 kilometres by road from Maiduguri and has been affected by attacks linked to the Boko Haram insurgency.