A devastating tragedy struck Niger State on Tuesday as no fewer than 30 people lost their lives and about 40 others sustained severe injuries in a tanker explosion along the Bida–Agaie road in Katcha Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 11:00 a.m. in Essan and Badeggi communities when residents rushed to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker. Moments later, the vehicle exploded, triggering a massive blaze that engulfed many of the victims. Several bodies were burnt beyond recognition, while survivors were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Niger State Tanker Drivers Association and National Ex-Officio of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Farouk Kawo, described the explosion as “devastating and avoidable.”
According to him, the tanker was transporting petroleum products from Lagos to northern Nigeria when it lost control and crashed.
Rising Road Tragedies
Kawo lamented that the Bida–Agaie route has recorded over 30 tanker accidents in October alone, blaming the persistent crashes on the deplorable condition of the road. He also condemned the growing habit of residents rushing to scoop fuel despite repeated safety warnings.
“Just last Sunday, a tanker carrying groundnut oil also crashed in the same area, and residents rushed to scoop the product,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls at the time of filing this report.
Kawo appealed to Governor Umaru Bago to urgently fix the dilapidated section of the road to prevent further loss of lives and property.
Tanker explosions remain a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, often fueled by unsafe driving, poor road conditions, and the risky practice of fuel scooping. In March, 10 people died in a similar incident near Abuja when a tanker truck caught fire. Earlier in January, at least 98 people lost their lives in Niger State after a tanker explosion under similar circumstances, prompting President Bola Tinubu to launch a national awareness campaign on the dangers of scooping fuel from crash sites.
The latest incident adds to Nigeria’s growing list of avoidable tragedies, highlighting the urgent need for better road maintenance, stricter safety enforcement, and sustained public enlightenment.
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