Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have attacked the convoy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Borno State, Mustapha Gubio.
The incident occurred on Thursday along the Gubio, Kareto and Damasak highway in the northern part of the state.
Gubio and members of his campaign team were reportedly travelling to Mobbar Local Government Area for a thank you visit to APC supporters following his emergence as the party’s consensus candidate in its recent governorship primary.
Sources said the convoy came under heavy attack around Kareto at about 2:30pm.
The attackers reportedly fired rocket propelled grenades, RPGs, and opened sporadic gunfire at the convoy.
Security personnel comprising soldiers, police officers, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Department of State Services, DSS, Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, and local vigilantes were said to have engaged the attackers and repelled the assault.
An insider who survived the incident described the attack as terrifying, saying the convoy came under intense fire from the terrorists.
Some police armoured vehicles were reportedly damaged during the confrontation, although no casualties were recorded.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, confirmed the attack.
In a statement, Iniedu said police tactical operatives engaged suspected terrorists who attacked the convoy along the Kareto and Damasak Road with an improvised explosive device, IED, and RPGs.
He said the security team forced the attackers to retreat into the surrounding bush before conducting a search operation to clear the area and prevent possible secondary explosive attacks.
According to the police spokesperson, the convoy was conveying the APC governorship candidate, government officials and other political stakeholders when the attack occurred.
He said the entire entourage was successfully evacuated to a secure location.
Iniedu confirmed that no member of the convoy was killed or injured during the attack.
