Residents Risk Explosion As Crowd Rushes To Scoop Fuel From Fallen Tanker In Jigawa

Fear and tension spread across Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State on Saturday night after a fuel tanker overturned and spilled petrol along the busy Maiduguri Road, close to the Kiyawa roundabout.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 9:30 p.m. and attracted a large crowd of residents and passersby. Concern grew over the possibility of a fire outbreak after some people were seen approaching the scene with buckets, containers and other materials in an apparent attempt to collect the spilled petrol.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Jigawa State, Yahaya Ibrahim, said personnel of the agency had cordoned off the affected area to prevent residents from getting close to the fallen tanker.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Ibrahim attributed the accident to driver fatigue, explaining that the tanker driver allegedly fell asleep while driving.

He confirmed that the driver sustained injuries in the crash and was receiving medical treatment at Kiyawa General Hospital.

The incident was also confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Jigawa State Command, Badaruddeen Tijjani.

Tijjani said the tanker overturned near the Kiyawa roundabout along Maiduguri Road at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday before petrol began spilling from it.

He explained that NSCDC personnel were immediately deployed to the scene after receiving information about the incident. According to him, officers cordoned off the area and took measures to control the crowd and prevent residents from approaching the tanker.

The intervention, he noted, was aimed at averting a possible fire outbreak and protecting residents from the dangers associated with the spilled fuel.

The incident has also renewed concerns about the dangers of approaching fallen fuel tankers to scoop petrol, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating tanker explosion that occurred in Majia, Taura Local Government Area, in October 2024.

That disaster claimed more than 170 lives after residents reportedly gathered around a fallen tanker to collect spilled fuel.