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President Bola Tinubu has announced plans to establish a high-level committee tasked with probing the frequent occurrences of tanker explosions across the nation. The committee will also be responsible for formulating and implementing robust safety measures aimed at preventing such devastating incidents in the future.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, made this statement on Sunday during a visit to the Palace of the Emir of Suleja. His visit was part of efforts to express solidarity with the victims of the tragic tanker explosion that occurred on Saturday at Dikko Junction, situated in the Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State.
He said members of the committee would be drawn from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), tanker drivers’ associations and other stakeholders.
The minister also said enlightenment campaigns on the safe movement of fuel tankers, road safety habits and the dangers of scooping leaked fuel would be carried out by his ministry.
Mohammed was accompanied to the state by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, and top government officials.
Read also: Petrol Tanker Explosion Claims Another 50 Lives In Niger
The delegation also planned to visit various hospitals in Suleja where 55 injured individuals were rushed for urgent medical attention. The delegation also planned to visit the Dikko junction which is now a grim reminder of the potential dangers posed by fuel tankers on Nigeria roads.
At least 86 persons died and 55 others were injured on Saturday, January 18, 2025, whilst scooping fuel from a fallen tanker.
Earlier in January 2025, at least five persons were killed when a tanker ladened with petrol lost control and burst into flames in the Agbor area of Delta State.
In October 2024, a fuel tanker explosion in Jigawa State killed more than 170 people, with scores injured.
Tanker explosions occurred in Nigeria at a time when petrol has become a precious commodity in Africa’s most populous country, which is suffering its worst economic crisis in a generation.
