DAILY POST
Reactions have continued to trail the regular petrol tanker explosions in Nigeria, which have claimed several lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
Findings by DAILY POST revealed that in 2020, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, listed 1,531 fuel tanker accidents which claimed over 535 lives.
Between September 2024 and now, at least 265 persons have lost their lives to tanker explosions in various parts of the country.
It was a black Thursday in Jigawa State when a fuel tanker caught fire while offloading the product at Shakatu Filling Station along Kiyawa Road in Dutse, the state capital.
The incident, which occurred at about 8:30 pm, caused panic among residents and commuters in the area. Fortunately, no life was lost to the incident.
Eyewitnesses told DAILY POST that the fire started suddenly, engulfing the tanker and spreading to parts of the filling station.
DAILY POST recalls that a similar incident occurred a few months ago in Majia town, Taura Local Government Area of the state, killing no fewer than 200 people.
Just a few days ago, many people were burnt to death, while scores were injured in a petrol tanker accident that occurred in Enugu State, which destroyed several vehicles at Ugwu Onyeama Federal Highway.
A week earlier, DAILY POST reported that about a hundred people died in a tanker explosion that occurred in Niger State on January 18, 2025.
Locals were said to have rushed to scoop the fuel, but the tanker caught fire, leading to a catastrophic explosion that claimed numerous lives.
Still in the same Niger State, on September 8, 2024, no fewer than 100 people died in a similar tanker explosion.
Besides those who died, at least 50 cattle were burnt to ashes during the accident which happened on the Lapai-Agaie road of the state.
DAILY POST reports that a petrol tanker loaded with petrol collided with another trailer loaded with some passengers and cattle, causing a huge explosion.
In November, a tanker exploded at Gamoji, along Kano-Maiduguri highway, claiming many lives.
In the same vein, last December, a fuel tanker involved in a crash exploded in Agbor, Delta State, killing at least five people and destroying many homes and shops.
A similar incident occurred on Wednesday, January 14, 2025 at the Epe-Ijebu Odeyemi expressway.
Reacting to the incident in Niger state, the state Governor, Umar Bago, described the explosion as pathetic.
He decried the recklessness of some drivers, and directed that they should follow under-the-bridge and take a U-turn appropriately.
He called on the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, to establish a detachment in the area to ensure the enforcement of the directive while calling on relevant transport unions to cooperate with them.
While mourning the victims, President Bola Tinubu directed relevant security and road safety authorities to take action to prevent the recurrence of such incidents nationwide.
The president also tasked the National Orientation Agency, NOA, with sensitising the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
Consequent upon the president’s directive, the federal government had set up a committee comprising the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and other critical stakeholders like NEMA, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association, IPMAN, and all other stakeholders to determine the remote and immediate causes of the incident and how to avert the occurrence or the recurrence of fuel tanker explosions.
In his reaction, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Jama’atu Nasir Islam, JNI, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed worry that tankers conveying petroleum products are now sources of disastrous road accidents, with agonising loss of lives and property.
He called on the federal government to review the safety protocols guiding fuel transportation in Nigeria.
The monarch called on all relevant transport and/or road unions to begin to sensitise and educate their members on dangers associated with reckless driving, especially one-way driving, which has now become too common on the Nigerian highways.
“There is the urgent need for the FGN to review the safety protocols guiding fuel transportation in Nigeria, as the repeated explosion calls for serious review, while surveillance should, maximally be accorded to explosion-prone highways,” he added.
Meanwhile, speaking when the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, led a federal government delegation on a condolence visit to his palace over the explosion, the Emir of Zazzau Suleja, Alhaji Awwal Ibrahim, urged the government to step up enlightenment campaigns to educate the citizens on the need to stay away from scenes of tanker accidents.
“I know that we are in the era of technology, but I advise the federal government to revert to the era where it gathers people at the emir’s palace and other public places to educate them on issues like this and other issues of public importance,” he said.
The monarch advised Nigerians not to risk their lives to scoop fuel from tankers involved in accidents, saying “it is a sign of greed.”
On the Enugu incident, the state governor, Peter Mbah, reiterated his call for the enforcement of anti-spill lock on fuel tankers across the country, saying that disasters arising from tanker-spill had become too frequent.
The governor explained that his administration was doing everything humanly possible to ensure that the survivors got full medical treatment, noting that the government would bear the full expenses.
Also reacting to the incident, the youth wing of apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to reactivate the moribund Enugu depot.
The body said it was a sad reminder of the dangers fuel tankers imposed on the highways, as well as the bad nature of most of the Nigerian roads.
Lending his voice to the incident, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar called on the government to establish an inquiry into the recurring incidents of fuel tanker explosions following the recent explosion in Enugu State that claimed multiple lives.
He described the recurring explosion as an emergency to be acted upon.
Speaking to DAILY POST, a public affairs analyst, Mike Akor said the incessant explosion of fuel tankers in Nigeria has become very worrisome.
He highlighted the causes to include poor condition of most Nigerian roads, lack of adherence to traffic and safety rules, overloading of the takers, reckless driving, mental and emotional well-being of tanker drivers and untimely response of road safety officials and NEMA to accidents and other forms of emergencies in Nigeria, among others.
According to him, most roads were in bad states ranging from potholes, uneven or lack of smooth surfaces, stressing that these caused avoidable accidents to tankers and consequent explosions.
“Secondly, most tanker drivers ply the roads but put up strong defiance to traffic rules, signs and speed limits. The recklessness with which tanker drivers ply the road these days is horrifying.
“The response of relevant authorities in charge of accident and emergency management in Nigeria is usually done with a snail pace.
“Such slow response offers a high opportunity for a tanker to explode. If there is proper response, some of the explosions would be averted.
“The emotional state of most tanker drivers contributes to the high wave of this ugly trend. Some of them indulge in hard drug abuse, alcoholism, etc.
“Some of them go to the road to drive in anger and unhealthy state of emotion,” he added.
Another public affairs commentator, Peter Ngbede, called for adequate supervision of tanker drivers and tactics that could make them comply with speed limits.
He said, “There should be adequate supervision of tanker drivers, and tactics that will coerce them to comply with speed limit, and other safety guidelines. There should be a heavy sanction for anyone who violates a dot of the rules.”
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN DAILY POST
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