‘My nephews died trying to stop petrol scoopers’

Nigerian farmer Mustapha Majiya is still reeling from losing almost 50 members of his extended family this week after an overturned fuel tanker exploded, sending flames up into a night sky.

“My nephews, Nuradeen Rabiu, 16, and Dini Babalo, 17, were among those killed. They tried to stop people from getting too close to the tanker and scooping fuel before the explosion,” the 50-year-old resident of Majia town told the BBC.

The explosion on Tuesday night in the northern state of Jigawa has been described as one of Nigeria’s most-deadly tanker accidents in recent years.

It has claimed the lives of at least 170 people – many burnt beyond recognition. Of the 100 people wounded in the inferno, several remain in hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The tanker was full of petrol and had been travelling on a main road through the town that had no street lights when the driver lost control as another vehicle approached.

When residents realised there was free petrol to be had – people, mostly young men and teenagers, rushed to get buckets and other receptacles to collect the precious liquid.

Over the last 17 months, the price of petrol has soared in Nigeria – where there are frequent fuel shortages – leading to a cost-of-living crisis.

Many residents of the farming community did not want to give up the opportunity to stock up, ignoring the warnings from those like Mr Majiya’s nephews, who were both in their fourth year at the town’s secondary school.

“I just bought them books and new uniforms for the term,” he says in disbelief.

Mr Majiya also lost a long-time friend, Jamilu Maigaji, in the explosion which took place about an hour after the tanker crashed.

The 55-year-old was married with two wives and 13 children and had been at the scene as people went to collect fuel, some of which had pooled in a drainage ditch and some scrubland by the side of the highway.

“Some people were just onlookers and didn’t understand the dangers of being around the scene,” Mr Majiya lamented.

As a devout Muslim, Mr Majiya says he accepts God’s will as the giver and taker of life.

But it is part of a broader pattern of tanker-related explosions and accidents in Nigeria, which experts think could be avoided if there was better strategic planning and safety measures.

Petroleum products in Nigeria – a vast oil-producing country and Africa’s most-populous nation – are mostly transported by road.

“There is nowhere in the world where they rely solely on the roads to move goods. The government needs to invest more in freight rails across the country,” Kola Ashiru-Balogun, an urban developer, told the BBC.

In 2020 alone, more than 1,500 accidents involving fuel tankers were recorded, resulting in 535 deaths, according to the latest figures from the country’s Federal Road Safety Corps.

Just last month, 59 people died in Nigeria’s north-central Niger state after a fuel tanker collided with a lorry carrying passengers and cattle.

As the emergency services were responding to the Majia explosion, another fuel tanker overturned in Ibafo in south-western Ogun state.

The tanker spilled its contents in front of a commercial bank, leading to an explosion. Although no casualties were reported, the incident caused significant damage to nearby vehicles and property.

Following Tuesday night’s horrific accident, the Senate asked the National Orientation Agency, the body in charge of government communication, to intensify efforts to make the public aware of the dangers of approaching a tanker involved in an accident.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima echoed these sentiments, saying: “As we deal with this tragedy, let us also reflect on the importance of safety measures and public awareness to prevent such incidents in the future.”

In fact last week he attended the launch of the National Road Safety Advisory Council (Narsac), which aims to improve co-ordination across government to enhance road safety and reduce crashes.

However, some safety experts argue that the issue is not about a lack of policies but rather a failure to implement them.

“There is no political will to act,” Timothy Iwuagwu, president of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, told the BBC.

He attributes many of the tanker-related accidents to factors such as poorly maintained roads, inadequately inspected vehicles and untrained drivers.

“The force of the tanker hitting the ground isn’t enough to cause an explosion. It’s the poor fabrication of these tanks by unqualified persons – that is the problem,” he said.

Overloaded tankers and ineffective safety checks at depots also played a significant role in the frequency of these accidents, he added.

But the reality on the ground is that desperate people will take risks.

Since President Bola Tinubu came to power in May 2023, his administration has scrapped fuel and electricity subsidies, leading to petrol prices rising by more than 500% and a significant spike in energy costs.

Meanwhile the naira, Nigeria’s currency, has depreciated by more than 400% against the US dollar, further worsening the economic hardships.

Inflation stands at more than 32%, and an estimated 104 million Nigerians – almost half of the population – live in poverty

The government has defended these measures, insisting they are necessary to stabilise the ailing economy.

And although the government has promised an investigation into the Jigawa explosion, history shows that prosecutions are rare – and victims or their families rarely receive compensation.

“The people left behind in Majia are feeling very sorry after this incident,” said Mr Majiya, reflecting the town’s shock and grief.

“The government has promised to help the community and the survivors. We await them,” he said.

As the nation joins them in mourning, calls are growing in volume for the government to protect its citizens from these preventable disasters.