In the wake of a tragic tanker explosion that claimed over 90 lives just days ago, residents of Bida town in Niger State gathered around another overturned truck on Monday.
Footage captured young individuals collecting liquid from the damaged vehicle, while others hurried away to evade potential danger. A local resident, Yinusa Jiya, remarked, “The people were not even afraid despite the earlier assumption that it was petrol.”
Another eyewitness, Fatimah Mohammed, clarified that the truck was carrying groundnut oil: “It fell near AYM Shafa filling station yesterday (Monday), and residents took large quantities of the groundnut oil leaking from the tanker.”
This incident came on the heels of a devastating explosion near Dikko Junction on Sunday, which has resulted in a death toll of 98, with more injured victims succumbing in hospitals. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency has interred 86 bodies in a mass grave, while many survivors are still receiving treatment for severe burns.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed the National Orientation Agency to ramp up awareness campaigns against fuel scooping, as authorities attribute the casualties to individuals attempting to collect fuel from the crashed tanker.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum has expressed deep concern over the alarming number of deaths and serious injuries. Niger State has faced similar tragedies in the past, including a tanker explosion that resulted in the deaths of over 50 travelers on the Agaie-Badeggi road in September 2024.
