A mango orchard Farm belonging to the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has been gutted by fire.
The farm is located at Howe, few kilometers from Aliade, in Gwer Local Government Area of Benue State.
The farm Manager, Zubello Muhammed who spoke to some journalists said the incident occurred when he traveled out of the area for an official assignment last weekend.
Mohammed said he was informed at about 2p.m that the farm was on fire and on arrival, all efforts to put it out was unsuccessful.
He wondered what triggered the fire as the parameters of the farm were carefully fire-traced to avoid such incident.
Muhammed who said the cause of the fire was still unknown, however, alleged that it was not unconnected to the mischief makers who are demanding for compensation of the portion of the land where the farm is located.
The Manager lamented that he had prevented several attempts to set the farm ablaze during this dry season, pointing out that despite numerous benefits members of the host community stand to benefit from the farm, they have insisted that compensation should be given to them.
The Chairman of Gwer Local Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel Ortserga who visited the scene of the fire expressed shock at the level of damage saying he immediately directed security agents to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of the dastardly act.
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He stated that four arrests have been made so far insisting that government would not allow perpetrators to walk free.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Catherine Anene, in a message, also confirmed the fire incident saying “I am aware former President Obasanjo’s farm was engulfed with fire but the command is yet to establish the cause of the fire.”
She, however, could not confirm the arrest of four suspects saying she has not gotten any information on that.
Meanwhile, the Director, State Fire Service, Engr. Donald Ikyaaza, expressed pain saying over half of the farm was already burnt by the time his men got to the farm.
“I discharged my men to that place immediately and the portion we met, we were able to put out the fire outrightly. Infact, my men while coming back in the night, armed robbers caught them, beat them seriously and collected all their handsets so that was the compensation we got for fighting fire at Obasanjo’s farm.
Speaking on the exact cause of the fire, Mr. Ikyaaza said, “the men who went there said the people were fighting for compensation for land. Maybe the land was not adequately compensated so that’s why they decided to set fire on the farm. That’s the only information I got from them..”
