Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam narrowlyescaped death on Tuesday when his convoy wasattacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam narrowly
escaped death on Tuesday when his convoy was
attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Suswam’s convoy was on its way to
Gbajimba in Guma Local Government Area of the
state when the incident occurred.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria , the
governor was on a fact finding mission following
the continuous invasion of many communities on
the Daudu-Gbajimba road by herders.
NAN which did not provide detailed information
about another attack on Tse-Akenyi, reported
that there was about an hour exchange of
gunfire between the bandits and Suswam’s
security aides.
Suswam, who confirmed the incident, told the
victims of the attack in Gbajimba, that the
situation was disturbing.

He added that people must defend themselves if
security operatives failed to do their job.
The governor said, “I salute each and every one of
you for your courage and steadfastness
throughout this period. This is beyond the
herdsmen; this is a real war.
“On my way to this place, they exchanged gunfire
with us for over one hour before we were able to
get here.
“My people are being butchered and their homes
destroyed. So, if the security agents, especially
the military, cannot provide security for us, we
will have to defend ourselves.
“I cannot abandon you people at this point in time
to die. You voted me to provide security for you
and that I must do for you.
“These Fulani are not like the real Fulanis we used
to know. Please return to your homes and defend
your land. Do not allow anybody to make you
slaves in your home land. ’’
The Guma LGA Chairman, Mr. Frank Adi,
condemned the killings and destruction of
homes by the herdsmen.
Adi, who was represented by his deputy, Mr
Godwin Viashima, appealed to the government to
provide them with security operatives.
When contacted, Suswam’s Director of Press, Dr.
Cletus Akwaya, said the attackers killed some
people in the sacked villages.
He said “His Excellency went to the crisis area to
look at the level of destruction when he was
attacked. Schools in this area have been closed
down since the crisis started in 2011.
“The marauders sacked the villages and some of
the schools are now being occupied by their
cows. They sacked villages in Gwer, Guma-West.
Some bodies were recovered from some of
these areas without bullet wounds.”
Akwaya added that government officials
suspected that the invaders were insurgents who
moved into Nigeria from Mali.
He said, “There are suspicions that the
marauders may have used chemical weapons.
They may be people who moved from Libya to
Mali and they are here now.
“What they are doing in the North-East is what
they are trying to bring to the North-Central
states of Benue, Plateau and Nassarawa . It is not
what the state government alone can handle.”
He, however, said there was no casualty among
members of the governor’s convoy.
Meanwhile, suspected members of Boko Haram
have attacked the convoy of Gwoza LGA
Chairman, Hamman Ahmadu, destroying two
vehicles and leaving three policemen and two
drivers missing.
It was learnt that Ahmadu and his convoy ran
into a siege laid by the sect members near a
bridge on the Bama-Gwoza Road at about
4.35pm on Monday.
Narrating the incident to journalists on Tuesday,
Mallam Baba, a driver attached to Borno State
Government House in Maiduguri, said, “On
reaching the bridge, after returning from Gwoza,
and Barawa on an official visit, we were
surrounded by several gunmen at the destroyed
Firgi Bridge.
“They shot from all directions and that
made three drivers to reverse and escape. Two
other vehicles, including my Toyota Hilux, were
abandoned. I had to crawl for about 300 metres
to escape from the insurgents.”
Asked to give the number of people killed,
Baba said, “It is only God that saved our lives
yesterday evening (Monday), including the council
chairman.
Three policemen and two other drivers are
missing.”