At least 38 people have been confirmed dead and around 40 others injured following a devastating tanker explosion on Tuesday in Niger State.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:00 a.m. in the Essan and Badeggi communities along the Bida–Agaie road in the Katcha Local Government Area. According to eyewitness accounts, the victims had gathered to scoop fuel from a crashed tanker when the vehicle suddenly exploded, igniting a massive fire that consumed many of those present.
Many of the victims were burned beyond recognition, while survivors with varying degrees of injuries were rushed to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.
Confirming the tragedy, Comrade Farouk Kawo, Chairman of the Niger State Tanker Drivers Association and a national ex-officio of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), described the explosion as both “devastating and avoidable.” He revealed that the tanker was transporting petroleum products from Lagos to the northern region when it crashed.
Kawo expressed deep concern over the increasing number of tanker-related accidents along the Bida–Agaie road, noting that over 30 such incidents have been recorded in October alone. He attributed the alarming rate of crashes to the poor condition of the road and criticized the dangerous trend of residents rushing to scoop fuel from accident sites.
“Just last Sunday, another tanker—this time carrying groundnut oil—crashed in the same area, and people still rushed to scoop the contents,” Kawo said.
Efforts to reach the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls at the time of filing this report.
In light of the recurring tragedies, Kawo called on Governor Umaru Bago to urgently rehabilitate the affected section of the road to prevent further loss of lives and property.
