Sokoto farmers count losses as fire razes 2,275 bags of onions

A devastating fire outbreak has destroyed no fewer than 2,275 bags of onions in the Kojiyo community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, leaving farmers with losses estimated at N56.8m.

NGGOSSIPS Metro learnt on Monday that the incident, which engulfed about 65 traditional onion storage huts, reportedly began around 2pm on Friday and raged for nearly seven hours.

Although no lives were lost, our correspondent learnt that the destruction threw the community into deep distress.

In an interview with NGGOSSIPS Metro on Tuesday, the National President of the Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Aliyu Maitasamu, confirmed the scale of the loss, explaining that each affected hut stored about 35 bags of onions.

“A total of 2,275 bags were destroyed, and at an estimated cost of N25,000 per bag, the loss stands at about N56.8 million,” he said.

Maitasamu added that the association had consistently cautioned farmers against practices that could trigger fire outbreaks, noting the vulnerability of storage structures made from dry grass and stalks.

“We are still investigating to determine the cause of the fire,” he stated.

Despite the scale of the loss, he dismissed concerns over a sharp rise in onion prices, saying the quantity destroyed was not significant enough to disrupt the market.

“This will not necessarily lead to an increase in onion prices because the quantity is not enough to cause that,” he said.

Affected farmers, however, described the incident as catastrophic. Alhaji Abdullahi Rima, who lost about 210 bags, said, “It is a huge loss for me. Everything I stored there has been burnt.”

Another farmer, Nura Magaji, who claimed to have lost 70 bags, expressed fears about survival, saying, “We usually sell gradually to take care of our families, but now everything is gone. We currently do not have anything to eat.”

Ashafa Muhammad, who told our correspondent that he had suffered the loss of 35 bags of onions, said, “We are in mourning because it destroyed everything we relied on. We believe it is the will of Allah.”

A security guard at the facility, Abubakar Maigadi, recounted how the fire caught him off guard to our correspondent on Monday.

“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.”

Similarly, the village head of Kojiyo, Muhammadu Sarkin Rima, in an interview with NGGOSSIPS Metro on Monday, said many households had been severely affected.

“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 for urgent intervention from authorities and relief agencies.

Maitasamu also called on agencies such as the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency to support affected farmers.

“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, told NGGOSSIPS Metro the agency had yet to receive official notification of the incident.

“We are not aware, but if there is any report from the local government, SEMA will carry out an assessment,” he noted.

Residents have expressed concern that the destruction could affect the local onion supply if farmers are unable to recover before the next planting season.