Fire razes Obasanjo farm

Some portion of Orchard Farm belonging to the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo went up in flames on Saturday.

The former president had acquired about 2,420 hectares of farmland at Howe, a few kilometres away from Aliade, headquarters of Gwer East local government area of Benue State where he planted mango and orange trees.

While the cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained, locals in the area said that some youths in the area might have set fire on the farm to ventilate their grievances for not paying compensation for the land.

The chairman of the Gwer LGA, Emmanuel Otserga, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that over half of the mango farm, which is over 139 hectres of land, has been razed.

According to him, “about 2pm of Saturday we received a report that the Obasanjo mango farm located at Howe was on fire and I quickly informed all the stakeholders including traditional rulers and we swiftly moved there even the Fire Service also came but by the time we will put out the fire, over half of the farm was already razed.

“However, from the look of things, the fire was caused by the deliberate act of mischief makers, because the way that farm is safeguarded, there is no way fire can cross over from any quarter into the farm.”

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The chairman also informed that a meeting with all stakeholders in the area including traditional rulers was summoned to investigate and unravel those behind the act, adding that already four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Director, Benue State Fire Service, Mr Donald Ikyaaza, who confirmed the fire incident.