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Nigeria loses 486 lives in 4 years to use fuel tanker explosions

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Nigeria loses 468 lives in 4 years to fuel tanker explosions

… FG moves to  raise awareness of danger 

Oil tanker explosions resulting in heavy loss of life and property have become a source of major concern for the government and Nigerians, as over 1,900 people have died in 16 years. This has tremendously spiked after subsidy removal in 2023, which has seen more casualties than before because of the temptation to scoop fuel that now possesses a premium value. About 172 oil tanker accidents and 1,896 deaths have been reported since 2009.

The latest explosion which occurred in Enugu State on Saturday, resulted in the loss of 18 lives.

The fuel tanker reportedly spiralled out of control and burst into flames while navigating the Ugwu-Onyeama section of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

Before it, another oil tanker explosion, which killed nearly 98 people in Niger State, the highest casualty figure in recent times,  brought attention to the alarming death toll from such incidents since 2009.

Before October 2024, 2019 had the highest number of oil tanker accidents and fatalities, according to a study published in the Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences.

However, a fatal explosion on Oct. 15, 2024, in Majia, a town in the Taura Local Government Area, claimed 181 lives. This incident made 2024 the deadliest year on record, with a total of 266 fatalities.

More than 100 incidents were linked to human-related factors, according to investigations.

Recall that in 2000, the Nigerian government came up with a fuel subsidy to reduce the cost of fuel by providing direct financial support to oil companies.

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When President Bola Tinubu came to power in May 2023, he ended the decades-old subsidy regime on the grounds that it disproportionately benefited the wealthy while neglecting the poor.

The government had previously spent trillions of naira annually on subsidies for petroleum products. President Tinubu stated that the subsidy had been financed through cash generated by private companies, as the government was “incapable of covering the subsidy expenses owed to the corporation.”

Since the President removed the subsidies, Nigeria has witnessed  28 oil tanker accidents, resulting in 486 deaths. These incidents account for over 15% of all accidents and nearly 25% of the fatalities recorded since 2009.

Many have argued that these accidents are caused by poor road conditions, reckless driving, and insufficient vehicle maintenance, among other reasons.

“The idea is that when a tanker overturns, it immediately degenerates into chaos as individuals rush to the scene to collect the spilled fuel. Many see it as an opportunity to secure a valuable resource that is increasingly out of reach due to rising prices and erratic supply. Some scoop to sell, meaning that poverty is part of the driving force,” Dr Olufemi Omoyele of the Osun State University,Oshogbo told Business Hallmark.

Continuing, he said, “The risks, however, are more than the benefits. We can still recall the Jesse tragedy. What begins as a frantic rush for free fuel often ends in tragedy: a devastating explosion that claims dozens of lives.

“A single spark triggered by static electricity, a lit cigarette, or a dropped phone can ignite an explosion, turning the scene into a deadly inferno. This dangerous practice, rooted in poverty, desperation, and a lack of public awareness, has turned the collection of spilled fuel into a gamble with death.

In recent years, the practice of fuel scooping has claimed hundreds of lives, turning tanker accidents into national crises. The phenomenon exposes deeper systemic issues in road safety, emergency response, and governance in Nigeria.

Fatal statistics

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On January 18, 2025, a tanker overturned in Dikko near Suleja, Niger State, spilling its contents. Desperate poor Nigerians immediately massed around the scene to scoop the fuel, but a subsequent explosion killed more than 98 people. The victims included men, women, and children, most of whom had rushed to the scene to secure the valuable resource.

Before the Suleja sad incident, on January 6, 2025, four people lost their lives when a petrol tanker exploded in Delta State. A few months earlier, in October 2024, a tragedy visited Jigawa State, where over 144 people were killed while scooping fuel from an overturned tanker.

On September 8, 2024, in Agaie, Niger State, about 48 persons lost their lives. On December 22, 2023, two people were killed in an Ebonyi fuel tanker explosion. On July 3, 2023, a spark from a phone caused a fire at an accident site in Ondo State, where people had gathered to scoop fuel. The fire resulted in the death of 20  people.

On April 28, 2023, the Plateau State Police Command said that  13 persons lost their lives in a tanker explosion in Jos North Local Government Area.

On November 10, 2022, a gasoline tanker crashed and then exploded in Kogi State, killing at least 12 people. On October 20, 2022, 10 people were confirmed dead in a tanker explosion, which occurred at Araromi town, near the Sagamu Interchange on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while on February 18, 2022, the Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed that no fewer than 17 persons were burnt to death.

Usual culprits

Observers attributed the frequency as rooted in a slew of economic, infrastructural, and governance challenges. The high cost of fuel, together with erratic supply, makes it a much-valued commodity. In impoverished communities, the risk of collecting fuel from a fallen tanker is often outweighed by the potential reward.

Ahmed El Yakub, a security analyst, told this medium that “Nigeria’s roads are in bad shape in spite of gigantic annual budget allotted to work ministry – pervasive potholes, uneven surfaces, and narrow lanes contribute to frequent accidents involving heavy vehicles. Tanker drivers navigating these roads face significant challenges, increasing the likelihood of accidents.

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He also blamed poor enforcement of safety standards for tankers and drivers, thus worsening the challenge. “Many tankers lack proper safety features, such as valves that prevent fuel leakage during accidents. Additionally, drivers are often poorly trained and overworked, leading to fatigue and reckless driving”, he noted.

He averred that emergency responders often get to the scene of accident too late to secure the ground. In many cases, residents reach the site first, bypassing any attempts to cordon off the area. This lack of crowd control and rapid intervention contributes to the high casualty rates.

Knee jack response

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while speaking at the scene of Niger explosion said, “that from September 2024 to this time, we have had four of these major incidents. We had the first one between Ibadan and Ife, where a tanker exploded. Five houses, cars and other vehicles were touched, and they were involved in the fire.

“Almost a day after, here in Niger State, again, in Agaie, about 48 persons lost their lives. This was on the 8th of September, 2024. Not long afterwards, on the 15th of October, again in 2024, about 144 people lost their lives in Jigawa State in a similar incident.

“And now, only yesterday, here at Dikko Junction, within this emirate, nearly 80 people have lost their lives. Now, if you put that together, you will see that over 265 people have so far lost their lives in this kind of incident, and this is really very worrying,” Idris said.

The cycle of  tragedies have drawn ire of stakeholders, who have called for urgent action to address the root causes.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, lambasted  security agencies for their failure to prevent the Suleja explosion. He  said they ought to have been more  proactive to save lives.

Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, had in the wake of Niger tragedy implored  the FRSC to enforce stricter safety regulations for tankers and heavy-duty vehicles.

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Experts like the Registrar of the Professional Driving and Safety Academy, Jide Owatunmise, stated the need for improved driver training and better road infrastructure.

“Without any iota of doubt, the problems being caused by articulated vehicles are so numerous and damaging that the inadequate and inappropriate responses of the government and agencies are becoming more worrisome than ever before.

The Federal Government has vowed to tackle the  challenge more holistically.

On the heels of  the Suleja explosion, Idris stated that  President Bola Tinubu had set up  a high-powered committee to  probe  the root causes of tanker explosions and recommend solutions.

The committee, according to him, includes representatives from the Ministry of Information, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Road Safety Corps and other key stakeholders.

“The President is really saddened by what has happened and he is worried to the extent that he has said that a high-powered committee is set up to look at these incidents,” Idris said during his visit to Niger State.

The National Orientation Agency’s Director of Press, Paul Odenyi,  emphasized the imperative of  urgent action, following several tragic incidents across the country.

According to Odenyi, the NOA has instructed state directors and community orientation officers to commence grassroots campaigns in their respective jurisdictions.

These campaigns include press engagements, radio appearances, and the dissemination of audio and video jingles highlighting the risks of mishandling fuel. Community orientation officers are expected to visit local government areas and wards to educate residents on fuel safety.

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