An explosion of a fuel tanker in the Suleja area of Niger State, Nigeria, resulted in 98 deaths and a minimum of 69 injuries on Saturday, January 18. This incident is one of several that have transpired in recent months, coinciding with the escalating fuel prices in Nigeria.
According to Kumar Tsukwam, a sector commander for the Federal Road Safety Corps in Niger State, the tragedy occurred when a tanker overturned, and locals rushed to collect the spilled fuel. Subsequently, the tanker ignited and the flames spread to a second nearby tanker.
The casualty count was amplified by the large crowd that had amassed at the site, including those capturing photographs and mere spectators.
The director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Ara, disclosed that 80 victims were buried in a communal grave at a health facility in Dikko over the weekend. After clearing the debris from the tanker, an additional 12 bodies were discovered, raising the fatality count to 98.
The fatal explosion was triggered as people were transferring fuel between two trucks using a generator near Suleja. The National Emergency Management Authority states that 15 shops were decimated in the blast.
Sector Commander Tsukwam remarked, “Most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. We are at the scene to clear things up.”
Niger Governor Mohammed Bago released a statement acknowledging the incident and expressing his concern over the high number of lives lost in the massive fire. He classified the incident as “worrisome, heartbreaking, and unfortunate.”
Historical data indicates a trend of such incidents in Nigeria. From 2009 to 2025, the country experienced 172 oil tanker fires and explosions, leading to 1,896 deaths. The year 2024 was particularly severe, with a single explosion in Majia causing 266 deaths. Since the removal of the government’s fuel subsidy in May 2023, Nigeria has seen 28 oil tanker accidents, resulting in 468 deaths, accounting for over 15% of all accidents and nearly 25% of fatalities since 2009.
The eradication of longstanding fuel subsidies by President Bola Tinubu led to a 400% surge in fuel prices. This economic strain has pushed many Nigerians to endanger their lives by collecting spilled fuel from tanker accidents.
In October 2024, a similar incident in Jigawa State resulted in at least 147 deaths when a crowd gathered around an overturned tanker. In conjunction with the collision between a fuel tanker and a cattle truck in Niger State in September 2024, which caused 59 deaths, these incidents underscore the ongoing safety issues.
The Federal Road Safety Corps accounted for 1,531 gasoline tanker crashes in 2020, causing 535 deaths and 1,142 injuries. The high rate of accidents is partially attributed to Nigeria’s inadequate railway system for cargo transportation.
President Tinubu has called for a thorough review of gasoline transport protocols, to be carried out in collaboration with state authorities. The government aims to enhance enforcement of existing road transport protocols, inclusive of regulations concerning night travel and official patrols.
In Nigeria, it is common for people to collect gasoline from an overturned tanker, seeing it as an opportunity to acquire free fuel for personal usage or to sell for profit.
Chairman of the Petrol Tanker Drivers Association, Augustine Egbon, stated, “As a tanker driver, I understand how it is. The roads are in poor condition.” He further advised that people should steer clear of any accident involving a tanker. He noted that it usually takes two to three hours for a fire to ignite after a tanker has overturned, and such fires often start when individuals gather at the site.
