Viral

Residents defy tragedy in Niger, scoop oil from fallen tanker despite recent explosion

Niger State residents appear not to have learned from a recent tragic tanker explosion as crowds gathered on Monday in Bida to scoop oil from another fallen truck.

NewsNGR reports that the incident comes just two days after a devastating explosion at Dikko Junction, Gurara LGA, claimed over 90 lives and left many others injured.

A video circulating on social media shows individuals swarming the overturned tanker. While some collected the oil, others fled, possibly fearing another disaster.

According to Premium Times, the truck was transporting groundnut oil, not petrol, as initially assumed. A local resident, Yinusa Jiya, noted that people seemed unbothered by the risks. Fatimah Mohammed, another eyewitness, confirmed the truck fell near AYM Shafa filling station, and residents stole large quantities of the oil.

The recent explosion at Dikko Junction had a devastating toll. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed the mass burial of 86 victims on Sunday, while others continue to receive treatment for severe burns in hospitals. Authorities attribute the tragedy to fuel scooping activities, which ignited the fire.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to intensify campaigns against the dangerous practice of fuel scooping. Similarly, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has expressed concern over the increasing death toll and severity of injuries from such incidents.

This is not the first tragedy of its kind in Niger State. On September 8, 2024, over 50 travelers perished in a midnight tanker explosion along the Agaie-Badeggi road. Despite the repeated loss of lives, residents continue to engage in dangerous practices around fallen tankers.

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