‘Herdsmen’ set Falae’s oil palm plantation on fire

Suspected herdsmen have set a section of the farm owned by Olu Falae, a former secretary to the federal government, on fire.

The farm is located in Ilado village, Akure North local government area of Ondo state.

According to PUNCH, the arsonists did not steal anything on the farm but burnt down five hectares of oil palm plantation.

Moshood Raji, Falae’s personal assistant, confirmed the incident to the newspaper.

“At about 6pm, I got a message from one of the police officers attached to the farm that the farm has been burnt down by some hoodlums.There was no worker on the farm when the incident occurred because it was a Sunday,” he reportedly told PUNCH.

“We are on our way to the farm now to know the extent of the damage. We have informed the commissioner of police. About five hectares of the land were affected. The oil palm plantation was affected as well as some parts of the yam and cassava plantations.”

In September last year, a report by Afenifere Group, on behalf of Falae, that there was an attack on the farm by herdsmen, was debunked as false by the police.

Falae, who was the presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy in 1999, was attacked and kidnapped in his farm in September 2015.

He was released three days later following the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari who ordered Solomon Arase, the then inspector-general of police, to secure his release.

But Falae contradicted police effort when he said he was released after he paid a ransom.

The kidnappers were later arrested, tried and jailed.