NEMA warns against fuel scooping and calls for urgent action to prevent tanker disasters.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has revealed that over 1,500 Nigerians have died in tanker explosions over the past 15 years. Speaking during a public awareness programme in Lokoja, NEMA Deputy Director Zakari Abubakar warned that practices like fuel scooping have “caused more damage than gain.”
“From January 2009 to October 2024, over 100 tanker accidents were recorded, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths,” Abubakar said. He cited major incidents, including over 80 deaths in Niger State, five lives lost in Agbor in January 2025, and more than 150 fatalities in Jigawa in October 2024.
Abubakar attributed the disasters to reckless driving, poor roads, mechanical failures, and siting of fuel stations in residential areas. “Fuel scooping must be condemned in the strongest terms—it poses a grave threat to life and public safety,” he stressed.
KOSEMA Executive Secretary Mouktar Atimah reaffirmed Kogi’s commitment to proactive disaster management, saying the state had identified high-risk zones and launched a media sensitization strategy.