Tanker tragedies: A self-inflicted national disaster

Another day, another tanker explosion, another harvest of death. The latest tragedy at Dikko Junction, Niger state, which claimed 88 lives, is just another statistic in an endless cycle of avoidable deaths that has become a national embarrassment.

Let’s put this in perspective. In just five months, 265 Nigerians have been roasted alive in tanker explosions, not from Boko Haram, not from bandits, but from their own conscious decision to risk their lives for a few litres of fuel. If this isn’t madness, I don’t know what is.

President Bola Tinubu’s response – setting up a high-powered committee – follows the typical Nigerian playbook of governance by committees. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for investigation and analysis. But how many committees do we need to tell us what we already know? That people shouldn’t run toward a ticking time bomb?

Some bleeding hearts would have us believe this is all about poverty. “These people are desperate,” they say. “Poverty pushed them to it,” they argue. Really? Let’s call a spade a spade – this isn’t poverty, this is a cocktail of criminality, greed, and a disturbing disregard for human life.

Trust me, I understand the crushing weight of poverty in Nigeria. I’ve seen it firsthand. But since when did poverty become a license for suicide? The last time I checked, even the poorest of the poor have enough sense to run away from danger, not toward it.

Here’s what baffles me: These aren’t spontaneous decisions. When a tanker falls, people don’t just accidentally find themselves scooping fuel. No, they make a conscious choice to grab their containers, rush to the scene, and participate in what is essentially mass theft. Some even come from neighbouring communities, as if responding to a town crier’s announcement of free fuel.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, painted a horrifying picture during his visit to Suleja. Five houses and cars burnt in Ibadan-Ife. 48 lives were lost in Agai, Niger. 144 souls perished in Jigawa state. And now, 88 more in Dikko Junction.

When does this madness end?

I’ll tell you when – when we start treating fuel scooping for what it is: a crime. Yes, you heard that right. We need to start prosecuting survivors. If you deliberately run toward a fallen tanker to scoop fuel, you’re not a victim of circumstance; you’re a criminal choosing to endanger not just your life but those of others.

The government’s decision to engage the National Orientation Agency for public sensitisation is welcome, but let’s be honest – how many Nigerians don’t know that scooping fuel from a fallen tanker is dangerous? This isn’t about lack of awareness; it’s about a peculiar Nigerian mentality that assumes “it won’t happen to me”.

Remember the Ibadan incident where people were smoking cigarettes while scooping fuel? Tell me that’s poverty and not pure recklessness. Or the Jigawa tragedy where people ignored multiple warnings from security personnel? That’s not desperation; that’s defiance.

President Tinubu’s administration needs to go beyond setting up committees and launching awareness campaigns. We need punitive measures. Yes, I said it. Make fuel scooping a criminal offence with serious consequences. If you survive your attempt to steal fuel, you should face the law.

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association and IPMAN need also to step up. Many of these accidents happen because of reckless driving and poorly maintained vehicles. But that’s a separate issue from the criminal act of fuel scooping. A tanker accident is unintentional; rushing to scoop fuel is a deliberate choice.

I can already hear the critics: “You’re being insensitive!” “What about the poverty?” Well, what about the families left behind? What about the children orphaned because their parents thought stealing fuel was worth dying for? What about the burden on our healthcare system? The trauma inflicted on emergency responders who have to gather charred remains?

Mark my words – despite these 265 deaths, despite the governmental committees, despite the public outcry, we’ll soon hear of another tanker explosion with scores of people rushing to scoop fuel. It’s a tragic cycle that seems embedded in our national DNA.

Something drastic needs to be done, and it needs to be done now. We can’t keep watching our citizens turn themselves into human torches in the name of free fuel. If poverty is pushing people toward self-immolation, then they need help – not access to stolen fuel.

The solution isn’t rocket science. Make fuel scooping a criminal offence. Enforce strict penalties for tanker drivers who flout safety regulations. Deploy rapid response teams to secure accident scenes.

Most importantly, change the narrative – these aren’t victims of circumstance; they’re perpetrators of a crime against themselves and society.

Until we take these harsh but necessary steps, we’ll keep counting bodies, setting up committees, and wondering why Nigerians never learn. The choice is simple: act decisively now or prepare for the next harvest of death. The ball is in your court, Mr. President.