Fires destroy ₦500m onion stocks in Sokoto

Three fire outbreaks within one week have destroyed onion stocks worth nearly ₦500 million across several communities in Sokoto State.

Security agencies are now investigating amid growing suspicion that the incidents may be deliberate.

The latest blaze struck Duhuwa village on Friday, reducing 324 onion storage huts to ashes and destroying 5,832 bags of onions in a single afternoon.

The fire broke out while many residents were away for Juma’at prayers and spread rapidly through clusters of thatched storage huts, leaving little time for intervention.

The National President of the Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Aliyu Isah, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Monday, said the recurring nature of the incidents was difficult to ignore.

“This is the third fire in one week. At first, we considered them natural, but the pattern is becoming suspicious,” he said.

Before the Duhuwa incident, similar fires had gutted onion stores in Kojiyo village, destroying 2,275 bags, and in Dundaye, where over 2,000 bags were lost within 48 hours.

Altogether, more than 10,000 bags have been consumed across the affected communities.

Local accounts suggest that the Duhuwa fire began in a single hut before quickly engulfing surrounding structures, fuelling speculation about whether external factors were involved.

“We came back from prayers and found one hut already on fire. Within minutes, others followed,” one affected farmer said.

The financial toll has been severe. In Duhuwa alone, losses were estimated at over ₦204 million based on prevailing market prices, while total damages across the three incidents are approaching half a billion naira, raising alarm among traders and consumers about possible market disruption.

Community leaders said the crisis could have been mitigated with better infrastructure, noting the absence of nearby water sources and limited firefighting capacity in the affected rural areas.

“If there was access to water or basic fire response, this wouldn’t have escalated to this level,” a resident said.

NOPPMAN confirmed that it has formally reported the incidents to security agencies, including the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force, calling for a thorough investigation. Appeals have also been made to the National Emergency Management Agency and state authorities to provide urgent relief to affected farmers.

Officials said they were yet to receive full field reports but promised to look into the situation.

As investigations begin, farmers remain on edge, uncertain whether they are dealing with a tragic coincidence, systemic risk, or deliberate sabotage.

Market watchers warn that any sustained disruption in supply could send onion prices soaring in the coming weeks.

The Nigerian Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria is the umbrella body representing stakeholders across the onion value chain in Nigeria.

Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest onion producers, with the North-West and North-East regions accounting for the bulk of national output.