Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, Monday narrowly escaped death when his convoy was ambushed by suspected Fulani mercenaries who engaged his security men in gun duel at Tee-Akanyi village in Guma local government area of Benue state.

It was learnt that governor Suswam had alongside some journalists, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Terhile Ayua, the Benue state Commissioner of Police, Adams Audu and his team, soldiers, and other security personnel embarked on an assessment tour that were recently invaded by the Herdsmen on Daudu-Gbajimba road.

It was learnt that on getting to Uikpam-Mbabai, the Governor and his team discovered that the marauders had attacked and pulled out of the community that very morning, after razing down houses, barns and beheading over thirty persons whose remains laid lifeless in several houses and huts.

It was gathered the military personnel on the tour decided to pull out on the ground that they were not briefed to travel with the team to Gbajimba.

Their decision to return however did not stop the Governor who insisted on making the trip to Gbajimba without the military personnel.

It was while the Governor’s convoy was heading to Umenger village, a distance of about 20km from Daudu that the team discovered that the herdsmen had completely taken over all the villages on that axis, grazing and looting the property of the locals who had deserted their homes.

One of the journalists who went with the governor said that the convoy however ran into a fresh attack at Tse-Akenyi village where fire was still raging in several houses, while the attackers continued with the looting of the property of their victims.

Suswam, while addressing the community lamented the endless attacks on the people of the state by Fulani herdsmen.