Fire Destroys 2,275 Bags of Onions Worth N56.8m in Sokoto

By Abah Margaret

A devastating fire outbreak has destroyed no fewer than 2,275 bags of onions in Kojiyo community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, leaving farmers with losses estimated at ₦56.8 million.

The incident, which razed about 65 traditional onion storage huts, reportedly started around 2 p.m. on Friday and lasted for nearly seven hours. Although no lives were lost, the inferno caused widespread destruction and left residents in distress.

The National President of the Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, confirmed the scale of the damage on Tuesday. He explained that each affected storage hut contained an average of 35 bags of onions.

“A total of 2,275 bags were destroyed. At an estimated cost of ₦25,000 per bag, the loss amounts to about ₦56.8 million,” he said.

Maitasamu noted that the association had repeatedly warned farmers against practices that could trigger fire outbreaks, especially given the highly flammable nature of storage structures made from dry grass and stalks.

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

Despite the magnitude of the loss, Maitasamu downplayed fears of a spike in onion prices, stating that the quantity destroyed was not sufficient to significantly disrupt the market.

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

However, affected farmers described the incident as catastrophic, with many expressing fears over their livelihoods.

Alhaji Abdullahi S. Rima, who lost about 210 bags, lamented the impact:
“It is a huge loss for me. Everything I stored has been burnt.”

Another farmer, Nura Arzika Magaji, who lost 70 bags, said the situation has left his family vulnerable.
“We usually sell gradually to support our families, but now everything is gone. We don’t have anything left to eat,” he said.

Similarly, Ashafa Muhammad, who lost 35 bags, described the tragedy as overwhelming.
“We are in mourning because everything we relied on has been destroyed. We believe it is the will of Allah,” he said.

A security guard at the facility, Abubakar Maigadi, said the fire caught him unawares.
“I woke up to the sound of the fire. I don’t know what caused it. I also lost my clothes and other valuables,” he recounted.

The village head of Kojiyo, Muhammadu Sani Sarkin Rima, said the incident has severely affected many households in the community.

“Some families now have nothing to eat because their means of livelihood has been destroyed. Each hut contained between 35 and 38 bags of onions,” he said.

He called for urgent assistance from government and relevant agencies.

Maitasamu also appealed to the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to support the affected farmers.

“We urge the government and intervention agencies to assist these farmers so they can recover and prepare for the next farming season,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of SEMA, Abdullahi Ghani, said the agency had yet to receive an official report of the incident.

“We are not aware of the incident, but once we receive a report from the local government, we will carry out an assessment,” he stated.

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