Inferno: Nigerians call for regulation of petrol tankers movement

Nigerians across divide, have called on the Federal Government to regulate the movement of petrol tankers across the country to curb the reoccurring challenges of fuel tankers explosion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the call followed the loss of lives and property caused by recent petrol tankers explosions in different parts of the country.

NAN also reports that from October 2024 till date, no fewer than three petrol tankers explosion had occurred in the country.

In October 2024, a fuel tanker explosion had rocked Majia, a town in the Taura Local Government Area in Jigawa claiming 181 lives, while the most recent occurred in Niger and Enugu claiming 98 and 18 lives respectively.

In an interview with NAN on Tuesday in Abuja, a Civil Servant, Mrs Georgina Njokwu, said that the tragic loss of lives and property due to petrol tankers explosion between the last quarter of 2024 and January, 2025 was worrisome.

According to Njokwu, it was high time the Federal Government restricts the movement of heavy duty trucks and fuel tankers to midnight.

”It is not right for those big vehicles to ply side by side with smaller vehicles and motorists especially on highways because they speed most times.

”I am not saying speed was the cause of the Enugu explosion but we know that most of these truck drivers and operators hardly carry out regular maintenance and some of these drivers get high to stay awake for long trips.

”It is high time this recklessness comes to an end because we can’t be losing lives and properties like this.”

Similarly, prominent Nigerians have also gone on social media to lament the gruesome fire explosions that have left many dead and their families in grief.

On X formerly known as Twitter, former Vice-President, Abubakar Atiku, tweeted “The incidents of tragic tanker explosions have reached emergency levels. It is time for the government to establish an inquiry into this issue.”

Also on X, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi said that there was need to prioritise the safety and security of lives and property.

Obi said that this should be done by implementing measures that would drastically mitigate the occurrences of fuel tankers and heavy duty accidents.

”We need to focus on fixing our existing roads, implementing strict road safety measures and educating our people on observing the right protocols around accident scenes,” Obi tweeted.

NAN also reports that after the Enugu incident, the FRSC rolled out a nationwide crackdown on tanker crashes, mandating the registration of all tanker drivers under a union.

The FRSC has also started implementing some recommendations, which included deploying officials to tank farms to inspect safety valves, vehicle conditions and certify drivers before loading and departure.