Nigeria: White Zimbabwean Farmer Found Dead in Kwara
Vanguard (Lagos)
Demola Akinyemi
11 April 2010
Ilorin – One of the white farmers from Zimbabwe working in Kwara State, Mr James Chisholm, was mysteriously found dead beside the stream in Labintan village, Bakase in Asa Local Government Area of the state, weekend.
Informed source told Vanguard that the deceased had earlier sent his boys to get him drinkable water around the area.
On their return, the source claimed that the boys could not locate 63-year-old Chisholm, a development that prompted the setting up of a search party to look for him.
The search, which started on Friday, continued till the next day, Saturday. They eventually discovered his corpse in the said village.
Police story
Contacted Sunday, Kwara State Police Command confirmed the development in an interview with journalists in Ilorin.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Dabo Ezekiel, “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to announce to the general public the death of a white Zimbabwean farmer.
“The deceased Zimbabwean farmer, Hamish James Chisholm aged 63, was confirmed dead on Saturday at about 1206hrs after severe search. The deceased was said to be in search of water in the stream said to be located at Labintan village via Bakase in Asa LGA of Kwara State.”
The PPRO added that “the incident occurred on 9 April 2010 at about 1150pm when one Seyi Adedokun ‘m’ of Nigeria Starch Mill Farm Onire, along Alapa came to the police station to report on the issue same date at about 145pm.
“Hamish James Chisholm, the deceased Zimbabwean farmer, Sunday, Baba Azeez, Elemosho and Seyi Adedokun, all of Starch Mill Farm, went to measure the land and set the boundary.
“At a stage, Hamish sent them to get him water from the office and later directed them to meet him at another location of the farm. When they came back with the water at the said location, Hamish was nowhere to be found.”
Dabo continued: “A search party was put in place to go round the farm to look for him, but the search proved abortive. On 10 April 2010 (Saturday), the search resumed and about 1206hrs of the same date, the body was found dead by the side of a stream in Labintan village via Bakase in Asa LGA of Kwara State.”
The police spokesperson, however, noted that investigation conducted on the deceased showed no mark of violence or cuts on the body and therefore no foul play was suspected.
He stressed that the corpse has been moved to the state specialist hospital morgue where autopsy will be conducted after which the body will be released to the family for burial.
Meanwhile, a high powered delegation comprising the state Police Commissioner, Muhtari Ibrahim, DPO Francis, the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Abdulfatah Ahmad, Security Adviser to the Governor, Yinka Aluko, Mike Fields and John Sawyer (both Zimbabwean farmers from Shonga) and other staff of the farm visited the place where Chisholm was found dead.