Obasanjo Reacts To The Burning Of His Farm In Benue State, Says It’s ‘A Bad Development’.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned the burning of his 2,420 hectares of farmland at Hawe in Aliade, Gwer East Local Government of Benue State over the weekend.

Mr Donald Ikyaaza, Director of the Benue Fire Service, confirmed the fire occurrence at Obasanjo Mango Farm in Hawe, Gwer Local Government Area.

In a phone interview with journalists in Makurdi on Monday, Ikyaaza confirmed that the farm was destroyed by fire at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

He claimed that as soon as he was informed of the situation, the agency dispatched men to put out the fire in order to prevent further escalation and damage to the region.

He, on the other hand, blamed the fire on claimed sabotage.

However, in a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described burning of his mango plantation as a “bad development.”

He noted that the local and State government, including the security agencies in Benue state have taken up the issue, with a view to fishing out the perpetrators and prosecution. The former President thanked those who had called him to identify with him on the incident, reports claim.

Meanwhile, Mr Emmanuel Ortserga, Chairman of the Gwer Local Government Council, has claimed that the fire was set deliberately.

“The farm is adequately protected against all types of disasters,” Ortserga stated.

He stated that a conference of stakeholders had been called to track down and apprehend the culprits of the crime.
He went on to say that the farm was 139 hectares in size, with half of it burned down.
When contacted, SP Sewuese Anene, the command Police Spokesperson, indicated that the police were aware of the occurrence but were unsure if any arrests had been made.