Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have ambushed the convoy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Borno State, Mustapha Gubio, along the Gubio-Kareto-Damasak highway.

The attack occurred on Thursday afternoon as Gubio and members of his campaign team travelled to Mobbar Local Government Area for a thank-you visit to party supporters following his emergence as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate.

Sources said the convoy came under heavy attack around Kareto community at about 2:30pm, with the terrorists reportedly firing rocket-propelled grenades and unleashing sporadic gunfire on the vehicles.

The attack triggered a fierce response from security personnel accompanying the convoy.

A combined team comprising soldiers, police officers, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Department of State Services, DSS, Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, and local vigilantes reportedly engaged the attackers and succeeded in forcing them to withdraw into the surrounding bush.

An insider who escaped the incident described the attack as terrifying, saying the convoy was subjected to sustained gunfire and explosive attacks.

Some police armoured vehicles were reportedly damaged in the encounter, although there were no reported casualties.

Confirming the incident, the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, said police tactical operatives counter-engaged the suspected terrorists after they attacked the convoy with an improvised explosive device, IED, and rocket-propelled grenades.

Iniedu said the security team successfully pushed the attackers back into the bush before conducting a search and clearance operation along the route to guard against possible secondary explosive devices.

He added that the convoy, which included the APC governorship candidate, government officials and other political stakeholders, was subsequently evacuated to a secure location.

According to the police spokesperson, no member of the entourage was killed or injured in the attack.

The incident comes amid renewed security concerns in parts of Borno, where Boko Haram and other insurgent groups have continued to pose a threat despite sustained military operations against terrorism in the North-East.