Fire Destroys Onions Worth N56.8m in Sokoto Community

A devastating fire in a Sokoto community destroyed bags of onions worth N56.8 million, impacting the livelihoods of local farmers. The inferno began around 2 PM on Friday and raged for nearly seven hours before being brought under control, with no lives lost.

The fire affected 65 traditional onion storage huts, which contained an average of 35 bags of onions each, totaling 2,275 bags valued at N25,000 in the local market. Aliyu Isah Maitasamu of the Nigerian Onion Producers and Processors Market Association noted that the quantity lost is not significant enough to disrupt the market or cause a price hike.

However, the incident has left many families in dire situations, with victims like Abdullahi S. Rima losing 210 bags and describing the loss as devastating.

The community is appealing to government agencies, including the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency, for urgent assistance to help affected residents recover and return to farming next season.