Lessons from the Majiya tanker tragedy 

The fuel tanker explosion that occurred in Majiya town in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State around midnight last Tuesday, October 15, 2024, couldn’t have been worse. The DAF vehicle driving from Kano to Nguru in Yobe State crashed, spilling its inflammable contents into a nearby drainage. About 250 people gathered to scoop the fuel when the tanker ignited, resulting in a massive inferno. More than half of the people were incinerated, some beyond recognition, while about 100 were hospitalised with various degrees of injury. 

According to NEMA figures, 147 bodies were buried in a mass grave on Wednesday. The death toll may have increased by now. Governor Umar Namadi described the incident as the greatest tragedy that befell the state. We couldn’t agree more. The people of the small town of farmers, traders and artisans will continue to remember it for the rest of their lives. We at Blueprint commiserate with them; we can only imagine their pain.

This unfortunate event has engendered a deep sense of rumination and retrospection in us. As the condolences and donations of assistance poured in from governments, organisations and individuals, the question remains whether any lessons will be learned from the tragedy. Even though organisations such as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have all launched investigations into the explosion, it is necessary to draw quick attention to the fact that fuel explosions are familiar sights in Nigeria, but their aftermaths are dismaying. 

In the oil-rich Niger Delta, hundreds of people have died from explosions at different times as they helped themselves to fuel from broken oil pipelines, which are sometimes cut by unscrupulous fellows with the intention of stealing the oil. Articulated vehicles have similarly killed hundreds of people in parts of the country either as they scooped fuel or when tankers crashed in populated areas. In most situations, apart from the deaths, many properties were lost. Just less than two months ago in September, 59 people were killed in Niger State after a fuel tanker collided with a lorry carrying passengers and cattle. And just as the mass burial was being concluded in Majiya on Wednesday morning, another fuel-laden tanker overturned on the main road in Ibafo town, Ogun State, spilling oil and bursting into flames. Even though no life was lost, property worth millions of naira were damaged.

Shocking as all the past incidents were, no one seemed to bother about seriously taking precautionary measures against future occurrences. Whenever such accidents happen, government agencies rush with the usual platitudes, while the affected people quickly return to their daily activities. Why are we so forgetful?

Certain measures need to be taken to address these recurring tanker explosions. Firstly, it is obvious most common people are ignorant about the danger of scooping fuel from fallen tankers, thus opening themselves to grave dangers. The affected government agencies, including the National Orientation Agency (NOA), should embark on an advocacy to sensitise Nigerians about such dangers. Secondly, the government should continue to address the grinding poverty, especially at the grassroots level. If not due to the desperation that poverty engenders, how could hundreds of people who should be in bed rush out with buckets and other containers to scoop fuel from an accident vehicle at midnight?

Another preventive measure has to do with the deployment of the police and the emergency services. In Majiya, the police were unable to prevent the people from taking the fuel though they cordoned off the area and issued warnings because they were overwhelmed by the seething mass. This calls for summoning enough uniformed men, including community vigilante groups, whenever such accidents occur.

As the FRSC Corps Marshal instructed in the wake of the Majiya case, Commanding Officers at the various tank farms should ensure that all tankers adhere to minimum safety standards before transporting inflammable substances. Added to this requirement is the need for sensitisation on the danger of over-speeding by drivers. The Majiya tragedy occurred when the 32-year-old driver tried to dodge a speed bump while on a high speed, causing the tanker to detach from the body of the vehicle. Had he been going at a sedate pace, he would have easily passed.

Related to this is the horrible state of Nigerian roads. Without a functional railway system that is ideal for fuel haulage, there is no alternative to road transportation. The government should, therefore, fix the roads to save the nation from these sob-stories. Indeed, we urge President Bola Tinubu to fulfill the pledge he made, in his condolence message to Majiya, that his government, in collaboration with states, will ensure a swift and comprehensive review of the fuel transportation safety protocols nationwide.