On October 15, 2026, a petroleum tanker fell at Oluku Market, alongside Lagos-Benin Expressway, spilling its contents. Many folks trooped to the scene to scavenge for spilled petrol. And a couple of hours later, the tanker burst into flames. The inferno destroyed market stalls, items, a number of autos. According to media report about 4 folks had been killed whereas many extra sustained various levels of accidents. Media reviews have it that a number of hours after the conflagration, the Edo State Emergency Management Agency (EdoSEMA) arrived the scene and safety operatives cordoned off the realm to stop additional publicity.
Tanker explosion tragedies are troubling, extra in order they’re preventable. Official FRSC document has it that between 2023 and now, Nigeria has recorded over 70 circumstances of gas tanker explosions, leading to not less than 740 fatalities throughout the nation. And the tragedy has develop into extra frequent on this period of gas subsidy removing that has exponentially pushed up the costs of petroleum merchandise. In 2023 there had been 13 circumstances of gas tanker explosions with 118 fatalities. In 2024, there have been additionally 13 incidents of tanker explosions leading to 85 deaths. In 2025 about 10 circumstances had been recorded between January and March, leading to 120 deaths.
This yr, other than the Oluku explosion, we had different 4 incidents. In March, a gasoline tanker explosion occurred at Sangotedo, Ajah, alongside the Lekki-Epe Expressway killing two folks and destroying a number of adjoining outlets, warehouses and energy grid set up. In August, a completely loaded diesel tanker collided with a heavy truck carrying baggage of animal feeds, triggering an enormous hearth that killed two folks and injured two others in Agu-Awka space, alongside the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. On September 30, 2026 a petroleum tanker collided with a heavy-duty truck alongside Airport Road within the Bado space of Sokoto, spilling its contents however the well timed arrival of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) forestalled a catastrophe. And on Sunday, October 4, 2026, a fuel-laden tanker collided with a stationary truck in entrance of the Odukpani Local Government Area headquarters leading to two fatalities and destruction of property.
Experts have recognized components reminiscent of lack of pipeline infrastructure, dangerous roads, insufficient truck upkeep, poor regulatory oversight, lack of punishment for offenders as causes for these incessant accidents. But far more essentially, financial hardship is forcing folks into the extremely harmful observe of scooping spilled gas from fallen tankers. It is just not ignorance however desperation for survival that has made the folks lose sight of the inherent hazard of tampering with extremely inflammable merchandise like petrol. Inflation has eroded the buying energy of the folks and rendered the common Nigeria households helpless. More than 160 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor. There is a excessive degree of unemployment and heavy dependency burden. Many Nigerians reside from hand-to-mouth whereas many don’t even know the place their subsequent meal would come from.
Hajia Hadiza Mohammed, Actress, social activist, politician, London, UK
