Incidents Federal
Government has said between September 2024 and January 2025, 368 persons have died as a result of tanker explosion across the country. Out of this figure, the death row in Niger State alone is 100 as at Wednesday 22 January, 2025 as declared by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Two other reported explosions in September and October 2024 had already claimed 268 lives bringing the total death toll from tanker accidents to 368 in just five months.
According to media reports on October 16, 2024, a petrol tanker explosion in Majoya town, in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State led to the death of 209 residents.
Poverty
Some analysts noted that the level of poverty in the land is one of the reasons for massive patronage on fuel loaded tankers by Nigerians who see such accidents as an opportunity to earn a living which of course may be a journey of no return for some.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Jonathan Vatsa blamed the incident on the level of poverty among Nigerians, adding that, although the people knew the inherent danger, they went ahead to scoop the fuel.
He, nevertheless, blamed the unfortunate incident on the deplorable condition of federal roads in the state, which he claimed has continued to cause carnage on highways in different parts of the state.
He particularly cited the MinnaSuleja Highway, which terminated at Dikko Junction, the scene of the latest incident, and which contract was awarded almost 15 years ago but abandoned, as an example of numerous federal roads in the state that are in a deplorable condition, needing urgent attention.
Vatsa, who was former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, blamed the previous administration for abandoning these roads, resulting in numerous accidents with the attendant loss of lives, especially involving fuel tankers and other articulated vehicles.
He stressed the need for the federal government to take urgent steps towards addressing the deplorable condition of its roads across the state to reduce further carnage.
According to him, “the only way the federal government can sympathise with the victims, government, and people of the state is to hasten the work on this road and ensure its completion.
This road has claimed many innocent lives, and it is time to ensure its completion.”
Prevention
Minister of Information and National Orientation Alhaji Mohammed Idris and the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri both emphasised the need for enhanced safety measures to minimise such incidents, urging the public to exercise caution around petrol-laden tankers during emergencies.
Accordingly, they said the risks are enormous, and lives are too precious to be lost unnecessarily. Lokpobiri said, “I have directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to investigate the incident and to reaffirm the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring safe petroleum transportation across the country.”
Speaking on the need to be proactive in order to forestall and prevent future occurrences, the State Director, National Orientation Agency, Yahaya Gbongbo said there is the need for continuous sensitisation and awareness creation.
He added that Nigerians need to understand that fire and explosions that result from fuel leakage often have catastrophic consequences for vehicle occupants and people around the vicinity
He stressed the need for the federal government to take urgent steps towards addressing the deplorable condition of its roads across the state to reduce further carnage
Accordingly, he said, “tanker explosions are caused by faulty fuel tanks, tanks that are overweight, bad muffler systems that ignite and a myriad of other reasons.
When you add to that equation the fact that the tankers are hauling highly flammable or otherwise hazardous materials”. He warned that “the fact that we have accidents is not surprising.
As long as oil tankers and other types of tanker trucks travel our highways, there will be accidents. However, all involved should take the necessary precautions to limit the frequency of these accidents.”
It should be noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated the National Orientation Agency to initiate a nationwide educational campaign. This campaign would raise public awareness about the severe risks and environmental dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
Awareness campaign
According to a release by his Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President while mourning the victims and expressing his condolences to the families affected, as well as to the government and people of Niger State, underscored the tragic and preventable nature of the incident.
However, regretting the number of persons that died while scooping Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the overturned tanker, the President directed the provision of comprehensive medical care to the injured and instructed security and road safety authorities to implement measures to avert similar incidents.
Tinubu strongly advised all citizens to exercise caution and avoid approaching accident sites, especially those involving fuel-laden vehicles, due to their highly explosive nature.
According to him, “for Nigerians to be informed of the dangers of going near tankers loaded with petroleum products, there is the need for aggressive sensitisation and awareness creation.”
Caution
Also, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, reacting to the incident urged Nigerians to exercise extreme caution and avoid approaching fallen petrol tankers to prevent heartbreaking tragedies in the future.
While expressing its heartfelt condolences to relatives of those who died in the incident, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye said the NNPC remains committed to the safety and well-being of all Nigerians and will continue to advocate for greater awareness of the dangers associated with fuel-related accidents.
Also, Chairman of the Niger State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, commended the government’s efforts in responding to the emergency and providing support to the affected families and those still hospitalised.
Governor’s orders
In another development, the governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago has banned heavy-duty trucks from plying the Dikko Bridge where the incident occurred.
He prohibited heavy-duty trucks from using the one-way route through Dikko Bridge following the recent tanker explosion in the state. Bago further criticised the recklessness of some drivers and ordered that vehicles coming from the Maje axis must no longer ply the bridge but use the route beneath it and take a U-turn.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NISEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah explained that the explosion occurred when the tanker collided with another tanker and later attempted to transfer the oil with different people also trying to scoop fuel.
The oil, he claimed came into contact with a generator, resulting in an explosion that caused casualties.
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