Lessons of tragic petrol tankers explosion and fire
31 January 2025 |
4:12 am
The frequency and magnitude of explosions arising from petrol tanker accidents in recent times should be very worrying for Nigerians and the government. How sad it is that within three weeks or so, more than 100 innocent Nigerian
The frequency and magnitude of explosions arising from petrol tanker accidents in recent times should be very worrying for Nigerians and the government. How sad it is that within three weeks or so, more than 100 innocent Nigerian lives were otherwise wasted through such accidents that happened in Oyo, Niger and lately Enugu states. We join other Nigerians to commiserate with the families of the bereaved. No doubt, the accidents, and their horrid nature have rendered hundreds of people into untold sorrow and mourning, besides destroying businesses and means of livelihood.
Any potential petrol tanker plying the roads is a disaster waiting to happen. Sadder is that these accidents could have been avoided with a bit of care, caution and proactive responsibility. First, bad roads constitute a primary cause of such accidents, followed by bad driving habits coupled with vehicles’ poor conditions. Many Nigerians are culpable and the cause of their untimely death, given their zeal to benefit from spilt fuel from grounded tankers, ignoring fatally the high probability of explosions occurring. The human price being paid is too much. The government should begin to put measures in place to prevent these accidents.
Beyond these, there seems to be no thinking or plan by appropriate authorities to source alternative and safer ways, for instance, through railways, to move petroleum products and other highly inflammable products to where they are needed. Under the prevailing conditions of transportation, the fear is high and palpable that the country has not seen the last of these gory accidents and explosion.
The other day, a fuel tanker crashed at Dikko, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State at a junction between Niger and Kaduna states, spilt its contents and exploded in fire. About 86 people were believed to have been killed in the ensuing inferno. Similarly, another petrol tanker exploded in Ibadan along the Ojoo/Iwo Expressway, near Fijabi house, Agbowo, claiming the lives of the driver and another. And just six days ago, barely two weeks after the Niger accident, another tanker lost control while descending a hilly section of the Enugu–Onitsha expressway, crashed and spilt its contents before igniting a massive explosion, killing about 20 people.
The Dikko casualty was aggravated by residents who came out to scoop fuel from the spill around the accident. The explosion and fire consumed them and several nearby vehicles, business places and pedestrians. According to reports, 86 people were buried, 43 were hospitalised and several others were declared missing.
While leaving a disheartening impact on both the local community and the entire nation, the accidents have drawn attention to the increasing safety concerns surrounding the transportation of hazardous goods in Nigeria as well as the issue of poor road networks across the country and the enforcement of safety standards by law enforcement officers; and above all, the carelessness regularly displayed by the people in ignoring caution to stay safe away from scenes of tanker accidents.
According to reports, since 2020, petrol tanker explosions have claimed about 663 lives and injured 450 others across the country. Between January 14 and December 29, 2020, about 97 people died and 112 others wounded in 25 related tanker explosions. While 79 people died and 240 were wounded in 21 related incidences between January and November 2021. A total of 85 deaths and 21 injuries were recorded in 16 incidents in 2022. Again, in 2023, four tanker-related incidents claimed 27 lives. The tragedies escalated last year as 289 deaths and 111 injuries were recorded in eight tanker fire incidents. The October 16 tragedy that claimed 181 lives injuring 80 people in Majia town, Jigawa State, was among the worst of all.
It is time for all stakeholders to wake up and avert these tragic occurrences. It is commonsensical that fuel is an inflammable commodity that should be transported through underground pipelines or railway lines as it is done in other climes where government is more sensitive to safety issues. That this is not happening in Nigeria suggests a failure of leadership at all tiers of government – federal, state and local governments. They all have a responsibility to keep roads in good shape; and, through road safety agencies, ensure that the vehicles are in standard condition.
Undoubtedly, the aftermath of the fire had significant economic and environmental consequences on the local community, businesses, families that were affected, the state and federal governments and the entire nation in general. President Bola Tinubu has lamented the tragic loss of lives and urged the National Orientation Agency to immediately kick-start a campaign to sensitise Nigerians against the dangers of scooping fuel from falling tankers. This directive should be carried out to the letter as education and public enlightenment are critical. Nigerians must learn to value their lives more than money or an opportunity to reap where they did not sow.
The petrol tanker fire in Nigeria is part of larger challenges of tanker-related and other vehicular accidents in the country. It is a shame that Nigeria, one of the largest oil producers in Africa, still relies heavily on transporting petroleum products on long-distance travels on poorly maintained roads. Also, the lack of effective safety protocols and drivers’ ignorance of handling hazardous materials need to be reversed through appropriate training. It is not enough to learn how to drive a vehicle, in this case, a petrol tanker vehicle, but to be trained to handle emergencies when they occur.
It is high time the authorities began to give life the value it deserves and not expose innocent citizens to gruesome but avoidable death. The government must address its primary sacred and constitutional role to protect the lives and property of citizens. There should be immediate steps to fix the roads, enforce stricter safety standards and regulations and ensure better training of tanker drivers and monitoring of tanker operations across the country to prevent further tragedies.
Also, continuous sensitisation education should be carried out on the danger of scooping fuel. More importantly is to note that, safety begins with the budget given to institutions to provide public infrastructure for the people, including safe means of transporting inflammable substances. Petrol tanker accidents in the country should serve as a tragic reminder of the pressing need for better governance.
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