Tragedy struck as an inferno razed no fewer than 2,275 bags of onions in Kojiyo Village in the Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, leaving farmers with losses estimated at about ₦56.8 million.
Though there were no casualties, the fire, which lasted about seven hours, destroyed about 65 traditional onion storage huts, leaving villagers in mourning over the heavy losses.
The National President of the Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, said each hut contained about 35 bags of onions.
According to him, “A total of 2,275 bags were destroyed, and, at an estimated price of ₦25,000 per bag in the village, the value stands at about ₦56.8 million.
“We are still investigating to determine the cause of the fire. I don’t think this will lead to an increase in onion prices because the quantity is not enough to cause that,” the president added.
Maitasamu said the association had repeatedly warned farmers to avoid activities that could trigger fires around onion storage facilities, especially since the structures are made of dry grass and stalks.
One of the affected farmers, Alhaji Abdullahi S. Rima, who lost about 210 bags, said, ‘The fire destroyed my entire stock.’ The incident had wiped out the means of livelihood.
“It is a huge loss for me. Everything I stored in the place has been burnt,” Rima said.
Another farmer, Nura Arzika Magaji, who lost 70 bags, said he depended on the produce for his daily needs.
“We usually sell gradually to take care of our families, but now everything is gone. We currently don’t have anything to eat,” he said.
Meanwhile, Maitasamu appealed to the government and to agencies such as the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide the victims with relief materials and farm inputs.
“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.
The Public Relations Officer of SEMA, Abdullahi Ghani, said the agency was not yet aware of the incident but would act once it received official communication.
“We are not aware, but if there is any report from the local government, SEMA will carry out an assessment,” he said.
Leave a Reply