Osun Farmers Count Losses As Fire Ravages Farmlands

-Urge Tinubu, Adeleke To Come To Their Aid

By Abdulrofiu Agboola, Osogbo

Farmers in Ikire farm settlement, Irewole Council Area of Osun State are counting their losses as fire ravages farmlands worth millions of naira.

The fire outbreak has created serious setback to the income of the affected famers as farming is the major occupation of residents in the community.

A visit of CityMirrorNews to the farm showed a large expanse of palm oil plantation of several acres running into millions of naira destroyed by the fire outbreak.

Also affected by the fire incident were Cocoa trees and many other crops.

The affected local farmers while speaking with CityMirrorNews expressed shock at the magnitude of destruction.

Six of the affected famers while speaking on the unfortunate incident urged the Federal government and Osun state government under the leadership of Governor Ademola Adeleke to come to their aid, saying they were left with nothing to live on since the fire outbreak.

The farmers are, Mr Sulaiman Morenikeji (2 hectares of cocoa, palmtrees farm),Mr. Zakariyahu Atanda(2 hectares of cocoa and palmtrees farm),Mr. Opejin Ayobami(4 hectares of palmtrees farm)Mr. Taofeek Sumbo(4 hectares of cocoa and palmtrees farm),Mr. Muraina Fatai(2 hectares of cocoa and palmtrees farm)and Mr .Jide Olayanju(1 hectare of palmtrees farm).

They said that, the assistance from the government became imperative so as to safe them out of present economic mess occasioned by the fire disaster at their farms.

The farmers stated that, “On the 6th of February,2024, around 11:30a.m in the morning, we received a call from a co-farmer that a fire broke out on our farms located at Mokore farm settlement, Araromi Owu, Ikire in Osun state.

“On getting to the farm, the entire 15 hectares of farm land that are full of cocoa and palm trees are covered with thick black smoke of fire inferno on the farmland.

“Effort to alert the co- farm owners proved abortive due to lack of telecommunication network around the farm premises but we try to call the fire fighter to put off the fire but we couldn’t achieve it due to lack of telecommunication network”.

They added that, “After some hours, we decided to use local method of quenching the fire inferno by using water, wet leaves and dry sand but all our efforts didn’t work perfectly.Instead,the fire spread quite fast due to the presence of dry leaves, dry wood and planks on the floor of the farm land.

“The fire continued to burn our farms till the next day and after much effort from the co-farmers in the next day, we were able to bring down the fire but the major portion of our farms had been burnt down completely”.

The farmers therefore solicited the support of the state and federal government on this ugly development so as to bail them from this unfortunate incident.