The Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD is blaming Depot owners and the federal government for the worrisome tanker explosions, with particular reference to the Niger and Enugu states incidences, which has claimed more than 100 lives.
At a briefing in Abuja, the National Chairman of the PTD, Augustine Egbon said while the depot owners have not committed to the ‘safety valve’ introduced to protect fallen tankers from explosions, the Nigerian government remains guilty for failure to fix bad portion of key roads.
On January 18, 2025, a fuel tanker carrying roughly 60,000 litres of petrol overturned at the Dikko junction near Suleja, Niger State, north Central Nigeria, where after crashing local residents gathered to scoop spilled fuel. This promptly caused an explosion, which killed 98 people and injured another 69, including at least 52 critically.
Exactly one week later, another fuel-laden tanker explosion occurs at the Ugwu-Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, leaving over 20 commuters feared dead and eight vehicles completely burnt.
For the Petroleum tanker drivers, a branch of NUPENG, depot owners should be blamed for their lackadaisical attitude to embrace the safety valve for tankers, introduced by PTD and, the federal road safety Corp
The PTD recalled that tankers with safety valves have fallen severally without exploding, given the rescue team ample time to evacuate the content into another.
The federal government gets the drivers’ bashing also for not fixing bad portions of the Nigerian roads
While the drivers call for more sensitization and education, it warns that people are supposed to stay one kilometre away from fallen tankers and avoid pressure on tanker drivers to allow them to scoop the leaking product.
Over one hundred persons have so far died in the Tanker explosion, which occurred within one week in Niger and Enugu states.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
