The National Youth Alliance (NYA) has expressed sadness over the unfortunate petrol tanker explosion in Jigawa State, which took the life of one of the Alliance group officials in the state, as well as over 100 other victims.

The NYA expressed its grief and concern in a statement signed by the Senior Adviser (SA) Media to the NYA National Chairman, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson, and made available to journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

He said: “We at NYA are saddened by the sad incident, which led to the loss of over 100 persons. Such a situation is avoidable, but unfortunately for us in Nigeria, only the lives of those in government matter.”

NYA, in a statement, blamed the current economic hardship in the country and soaring rates of unemployment, ravaging poverty, and hopelessness for the loss of lives.

“Such can only happen in a country like Nigeria, where people are hopeless, hungry, depressed, and jobless. The economic realities in our dear country pushed the victims into rushing to scoop the fuel from the tanker,” it said.

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NYA lamented the loss of one of its executives in Jigawa State, who is believed to have lost his life while trying to save other victims from the raging inferno.

“We regret the loss of one of our members in Jigawa State, Aminu Abdullahi, from the sad incident.

“Although official reports put the figures of those who lost their lives at over 100, we gathered the figures could be higher, with over 200 people dead and over 300 seriously injured.

“May Almighty Allah grant the deceased Aljannah Firdaus and the injured speedy recovery,” the statement added.