The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has raised alarm over the rising fatalities linked to fuel scooping from fallen tankers, disclosing that 411 Nigerians lost their lives in 2024 alone, representing 7.6 per cent of all road traffic deaths recorded this year.
Sector Commander of the FRSC in Benue State, Mr. Steve Ayodele, revealed this on Tuesday during a town hall meeting on trailer and tanker crash prevention, themed: “Discourage Fuel Scooping and Other Road Anti-Traffic Attitudes.”
Ayodele warned that beyond fatalities, tanker explosions leave survivors with life-threatening burns, destroy shops, vehicles, and infrastructure, while plunging families into deeper economic hardship.
He stressed that fuel scooping and other unsafe behaviours often turn avoidable accidents into national disasters.
“Fuel scooping has become one of the deadliest practices on Nigerian roads.
Instead of recognizing spilled fuel as a hazard, many Nigerians rush to collect it, and we have witnessed tragic incidents where lives were lost due to fires caused by this reckless act,” Ayodele said.
He further identified unregulated driving hours, overloaded tankers, and poor safety inspections as major causes of crashes, calling on drivers, community leaders, and government agencies to adopt safety-first attitudes.
Also speaking, the Head of Operations, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Babalola Sheba, lamented the environmental and health hazards caused by fuel scooping.
He disclosed that the agency had mandated the installation of anti-spill safety valves and speed limiters on fuel tankers, in addition to a colour-coded identification system for petroleum product trucks.
Similarly, the State Coordinator of the Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) Computerized Vehicle Inspection Service in Benue, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbanje, emphasized that preventing such disasters requires routine vehicle inspection, compliance with axle load regulations, and strict adherence to traffic laws.
Ogbanje urged drivers to carry valid licenses, avoid overloading, and report unsafe practices, stressing that “safety is not a goal but a continuous process.”
The town hall meeting ended with a call for stronger public sensitization, stricter enforcement, and collaboration among stakeholders to promote a culture of road safety in Benue and across Nigeria.
