A midnight fire has reportedly destroyed economic crops worth several millions of naira in Cross Rivers State.
WuzupNigeria gathered that no fewer than 200 farmers affected by the fire which occurred on 12 March 2020 through the early hours of March 13 at Agba, Bansan, and Obubra communities in Boki local government area of the state.
The fire destroyed cocoa, oil palm trees, plantain, banana, bush mango and avocado pear.
The farmlands are located on over 1,000 hectares of land spanning the affected communities.
The Clan Head of Agba 2 community, Mr Patrick Ekpang, told journalists said the incident had caused hunger in the affected communities as over 200 farmers were affected.
“As you can see, the entire farming forest has been destroyed by fire. We woke up one morning to hear that fire has gutted the entire farmlands involving three communities.
“We all rushed to the area, but before we could put out the fire, our economic trees have all been destroyed. Before the incident, some cocoa and oil palm farmers were preparing for harvest.
“We have lost millions of naira and now, some of our youths who also own large farmlands have become jobless in their own communities.
“We are appealing to the National Emergency Management Agency, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Office of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management including corporate organisations and individuals to come to our aid.
“We need food and financial assistance to help us procure more nursery and inputs to start fresh planting ahead of the rainy season,” he said.
The House of Assembly member, representing Boki 2, Mr Hilary Bisong, who is from Agba community, also called on the state and Federal Government to provide relief materials and financial assistance to the victims.
A victim, Mr Stephen Asu, said the tragic incident had impoverished the victims.
He said that the majority of them took soft loans from microfinance banks to invest in cocoa plantations and the fire disaster would make it difficult to repay the loans.
“We have become beggars in our own communities. Up till now, we don’t know the immediate cause of the fire incident that has damaged our economic trees and rendered us jobless and hungry,” he said.
Also speaking on the disaster, the Director-General of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Princewill Ayim, said the agency had carried out an assessment of the extent of damage caused by the fire disaster.
“We are still in the dry season, I want to advise farmers in the rural areas to stop the burning of bushes within this period.
“I sympathise with the affected victims because I know the hardship that has befallen them. We hope that relevant agencies will intervene swiftly to ameliorate their plight,” he said.
