The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Federal Government to compel fuel tanker owners to provide life insurance policies for potential victims of tanker explosions.

This appeal followed the alarming frequency of such incidents across the country.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA also urged state governments to conduct free quality control tests on fuel tankers entering their states to ensure their roadworthiness. The group demanded that tanker owners be held accountable for negligence contributing to these disasters.

HURIWA criticised the National Orientation Agency and state public enlightenment agencies for failing to educate citizens on the dangers of scooping fuel from overturned tankers. It stressed the need for these agencies to launch aggressive public awareness campaigns on the risks involved.

The group further called for regular capacity-building training for fuel tanker drivers, facilitated by the Federal Fire Service and state fire departments. It also tasked the Federal Road Safety Commission and Vehicle Inspection Officers with ensuring that fuel tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles are roadworthy.

HURIWA recommended that governments build functional road infrastructure, enforce laws restricting tankers from heavily populated areas, and limit their movement to nighttime hours.

Also, it urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to construct and maintain fuel pipelines to minimise transportation risks.

To safeguard these pipelines, HURIWA suggested deploying the armed forces, police, and civil defence corps.

The group criticised the government for its inadequate response to tanker explosions, describing it as “irresponsible and intolerable.”

“These recurring accidents are crimes against humanity,” the statement read, “and urgent measures must be implemented to prevent further loss of lives.”