By NICHOLAS DECHI

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Benue Sector Command, has said that 411 Nigerians lost their lives while scooping fuel from fallen tankers in 2024.

The Sector Commander, Mr Steve Ayodele, made the disclosure in Makurdi on Tuesday at a town hall meeting with trailer and tanker drivers on crash prevention.

Ayodele said that the number represents 7.6 per cent of total road traffic deaths in 2024 alone, noting it was beyond fatalities.

The sector commander said that the town hall meeting with the theme ?Discourage Fuel Scooping and Other Anti-Road Traffic Attitudes? was to mitigate such crashes.

?Tanker explosions often cause life-threatening burns and destroy shops, vehicles, and infrastructure, while also deepening the economic hardships of victims? families.

?Fuel scooping and other anti-traffic behaviours were turning avoidable road accidents into major disasters.

?Tanker and trailer crashes often leave behind devastating consequences, worsening tragedies with unsafe conduct of people at crash sites.

?Fuel scooping, reckless driving, disobedience to traffic rules, and roadside trading near accident-prone areas are actions that put lives at risk.

?Fuel scooping has become one of the deadliest practices on Nigerian roads. Instead of recognising spilt fuel as a hazard, many Nigerians rush to collect it.

?We have witnessed tragic incidents where lives were lost due to fires caused by this reckless act,? Ayodele said.

The sector commander stressed that unregulated driving hours, overloaded tankers, and inadequate safety inspections remain major contributors to accidents.

He called on participants, including drivers, community leaders, and government agencies, to commit to changing attitudes and protecting lives.

Mr Babalola Sheba, Head of Operations, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), decried the environmental and health hazards linked to fuel scooping.

He warned that fuel spills pollute the soil, water, and air, contaminate drinking water, and harm agriculture and aquatic life.

Sheba, who said that inhaling fuel fumes can also cause respiratory problems and skin irritation, stated that the agency had resolved to mandate the installation of anti-spill safety valves and speed limiters on all petroleum product tanker trucks.

He said that the agency had introduced a colour-coding system for fuel trucks.

He disclosed that light blue is for petrol, deep yellow and light blue for diesel, deep yellow for kerosene, black for aviation fuel, and deep green for biofuels.

Mr Emmanuel Ogbanje, State Coordinator, Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), Computerised Vehicle Inspection Service, in Benue, emphasised that preventing fuel scooping required a culture of regular vehicle inspection, compliance with axle load regulations, and strict adherence to traffic laws.

Ogbanje said that safety was not a goal but a continuous process and urged drivers to always carry valid licences, avoid overloading, and report unsafe practices.

He called for increased public education and collaboration among stakeholders to build a culture of road safety across the state and beyond. (NAN)

Update news