The National President of the Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), Aliyu Maitasamu Isah, put the estimated value of the loss at N204,120,000, based on the prevailing village price of N35,000 per bag. Sources in the community said the fire started around 2:00pm and lasted until about 5:00pm, spreading rapidly across the storage structures and a nearby house. Jalingo submerged Despite Taraba’s N2bn ecological fund Suspected kidnappers arrested with N8m cash in Plateau The incident comes barely a week after a similar fire outbreak at Kojiyo village in Goronyo Local Government Area, where 2,275 bags of onions valued at about N56.8 million were destroyed, as earlier reported by Daily Trust.

Another fire was also recorded in Dundaye within 48 hours of the Kojiyo incident. According to Maitasamu, the Dundaye incident also destroyed over 2,000 bags, which amounted to over 10,000 in both three places. One of the affected farmers, Bashiru Muhammadu, who lost 260 bags of onions, described the situation as devastating and natural.

“This is like a test from God. We are left with nothing because this is our food and our source of livelihood,” he said. Another resident, Ibrahim Aliyu, said the fire started while people had gone for Juma’at prayers.

“We were seated around the huts before going to the mosque. When we returned, we saw fire. Before we could do anything, it had already spread to other huts,” he said.

Similarly, Aliyu Ibrahim Muhammad, whose storage facility was among the first to catch fire, said the incident came as a shock. “We went for Friday prayers, and on our return, we found one hut already on fire. From there, others started catching fire,” he said.

He added that he lost 15 huts, equivalent to about 175 bags, noting that some individuals lost as many as 500 to 600 bags. Another farmer, Muddaha Yusuf, attributed the extent of the damage to the absence of a nearby water source. “If there was water close by, the damage would not have been this much.

My brother and I lost about 260 bags,” he said. Yusuf, who has two wives and 11 children, appealed for assistance. “At the moment, we have nothing left.

We depend on God and whatever support we can get from people,” he said. Salisu Idris, whose two rooms were also affected by the fire, said he narrowly escaped greater loss. “I had just parked my motorcycle and entered the house when I felt something like wind pass over me.

When I looked up, I saw fire. Within moments, it spread to another room,” he said. The village head of Duhuwa, Magaji Salihu, said a young girl first noticed the fire and raised the alarm.

“She alerted the community. This is the worst loss we have ever experienced here. Over 300 huts were destroyed,” he said.

He added that farmers were deeply distressed, having invested for months of effort into cultivating the onions. “These are people who spent a long time growing this crop. Now everything is gone,” he said, calling on government and well meaning individuals to assist the victims.

Speaking on the recurring incidents, the NOPPMAN president said the frequency of the fires was becoming alarming. “This is the third incident within one week. We initially saw it as an act of God, but the pattern is becoming suspicious,” he said.

He disclosed that the association had reported the matter to security agencies, including the DSS and the police, to investigate possible causes. “We are also making efforts to notify Sokoto state government and relevant government agencies such as NEMA and SEMA to support the affected farmers,” he added. He warned that the cumulative losses, estimated at about N500 million within one week, could have serious implications.

He further appealed to the government and the public to support the farmers to prevent them from falling into deeper hardship. “These farmers are already facing security challenges. Losing their investments like this could push some into difficult situations if they are not supported,” he said.

Reacting on the incident, the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Abdullahi Ghani, said they’re not aware of the situation but said they will investigate the matter. Also the Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Tukur Abubakar, said they didn’t receive any information about the incident from SEMA. According to him, “We are normally receiving information from SEMA, and as at now, there is no any official information we received from them.”