Onion farmers in Sokoto State have been thrown into distress after a fire outbreak destroyed no fewer than 2,275 bags of onions in Kojiyo village, Goronyo Local Government Area, with losses estimated at N56.8 million.
Daily Trust reports that the inferno, which razed about 65 traditional onion storage huts, wiped out a major source of livelihood for residents of the agrarian community.
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Eyewitnesses said the fire started around 2 p.m. on Friday and raged for nearly seven hours before it was brought under control. Although no lives were lost, the incident left villagers counting heavy economic losses.
The National President of the Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, said each affected storage hut contained an average of 35 bags of onions.
He said the total number of bags destroyed stood at 2,275, with each bag valued at about N25,000 in the local market, bringing the estimated loss to N56.8 million.
Maitasamu noted that the association had repeatedly cautioned farmers against activities that could trigger fire outbreaks around storage facilities, especially as the huts are constructed with highly flammable materials such as dry grass and stalks.
He added that the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
“We are still investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fire,” he said.
He, however, downplayed fears of a possible hike in onion prices, stating that the quantity lost was not significant enough to disrupt the market.
“I don’t think this will lead to an increase in onion prices because the quantity is not enough to cause that,” he added.
For many affected farmers, the disaster has wiped out their primary source of livelihood. One of the victims, Abdullahi S. Rima, who lost about 210 bags, described the incident as devastating.
“It is a huge loss for me. Everything I stored in the place has been burnt,” he lamented.
Another farmer, Nura Arzika Magaji, who lost 70 bags, said the incident had left his family in a dire situation.
“We usually sell gradually to take care of our families, but now everything is gone. We currently don’t have what to eat,” he said.
Similarly, Ashafa Muhammad, who lost 35 bags, said the community was in mourning.
“We are in mourning because it destroyed everything we relied on. We believe it is the will of Allah,” he said.
A security guard at the facility, Abubakar Maigadi, said he was asleep when the fire broke out.
“I woke up to the sound of the fire. I don’t know what caused it. I also lost my clothes and other valuables in my hut,” he said.
The Village Head of Kojiyo, Muhammadu Sani Sarkin Rima, said the incident had severely affected many households.
“Some families now have nothing to eat because what they depended on has been destroyed. Each hut contained between 35 and 38 bags of onions,” he said.
He appealed to the government and relevant agencies to urgently assist affected residents.
Maitasamu also called on authorities, including the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency, to provide relief materials and farming support.
“We are appealing to the government and intervention agencies to assist these farmers so they can return to farming in the next season,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of SEMA, Abdullahi Ghani, said the agency had yet to receive official information about the incident but assured that action would be taken once a report is filed.
“We are not aware, but if there is any report from the local government, SEMA will carry out an assessment,” he said.
Residents have expressed concern that the destruction could affect onion supply in the area if farmers are unable to recover in time.
