Suspected herdsmen set Falae’s farm on fire

No fewer than 10 suspected herdsmen again invaded the farm of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Chief Olu Falae, in Ilado in Akure South local government area of the state, destroying his Palm tree plantation and other crops.

The herdsmen who arrived at the farm around 5:30pm set the whole farm on fire and ran away immediately the security operatives at the farm noticed the fire outbreak.

Speaking on the development, the Personal Assistant to Chief Falae, Moshood Raji, who confirmed the destruction of the farm by the herdsmen said the palm tree plantation was “seriously affected,” saying “we are still trying to put off the fire.”

Raji explained that there was distress call from the policemen at the farm alerting about the fire in the farm, saying they had to mobilise to the farm to put off the fire.

He said “the security operatives stationed at the farm noticed the fire around 6:20pm and rushed to the scene of the incident only to find some Fulani herdsmen running away from the scene.

All the maize and cassava have been destroyed while the Palm Oil plantation was seriously affected.

Raji said the farm which is over 40 hectares was destroyed by the herdsmen for no reason.

According to him, all efforts by the security operatives proved abortive as they ran after the men but said the inferno prevented the security operatives from crossing to the other side of the farm.

A source close to the farm told Nigerian Tribune that the destructions was deliberate saying the herdsmen put the farm on fire as a form of repraisal.

He estimated the farm produce destroyed at the farm running into millions of Naira, saying apart from the Palm oil farm, the cassava and yam farms were also affected.

It will be recalled that the herdsmen invaded the farm on Falae’s birthday abducting him after destroying his farm and was released a week after.

After his release, the herdsmen returned to the farm, destroying the farm and exchanged gun fire with security operatives at the farm

They had also visited the farms more than twice after Falae’s abduction, vowing to return to the farm in retaliation of their kinsmen sentenced to prison over Falae’s abduction.