Residents risk lives to scoop fuel from fallen tanker in Ibadan
A viral video has surfaced showing residents in Ibadan collecting fuel from an overturned tanker along the Academy-Iwo Road Expressway. Authorities have repeatedly warned about the dangers of this practice, which has led to hundreds of deaths in recent years. Lanre Issa-Onilu and other officials have condemned fuel scooping and called for stricter laws to prevent it. The issue remains a persistent and deadly problem across Nigeria.
What happened
- A video shared by Oyo Affairs shows people scooping fuel from a fallen tanker on the Academy-Iwo Road Expressway in Ibadan.
- At least 411 Nigerians died in 2024 while scooping fuel from fallen tankers, according to federal authorities.
- The Federal Road Safety Corps, Benue Sector Command, reported that these deaths represented 7.6 per cent of total road traffic fatalities in 2024.
- Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, called for fuel scooping to be criminalised and urged for stronger public education and legal measures.
- The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and other officials have issued warnings about the extreme risks and urged citizens to avoid such dangerous behaviour.
