THE death toll from the petrol tanker explosion at Dikko Junction, near Suleja in Niger State, has risen to 86, with 55 individuals injured and receiving treatment in the hospital.
When the incident occurred on Saturday, initial reports indicated 70 fatalities and 50 injured. However, more bodies have since been recovered and given a mass burial in Dikko.
The tragedy happened when a speeding fuel tanker crashed at Dikko Junction, spilling fuel on the tarred road.
During the process of scooping the fuel, the tanker exploded, killing residents attempting to collect the fuel and others trying to rescue them.
According to Abdullahi Baba-Arah, Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), the mass burial was conducted in collaboration with the Gurara Local Government Area and volunteers between 5 p.m. and midnight.
He confirmed that 86 bodies were recovered and buried—80 in a mass grave at the Dikko PHC premises, five handed over to relatives for burial, and one at the Dikko PHC.
In response to the incident, Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago banned vehicles from passing through the Dikko bridge from the Maje axis. He also directed the Federal Road Safety Corps to deploy personnel to enforce the ban.
President Bola Tinubu expressed sorrow over the tragedy, extending condolences to the victims’ families and the Niger State government.
He ordered immediate medical care for the injured and directed security agencies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Tinubu also tasked the National Orientation Agency with launching a public awareness campaign on the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the transfer of victims from Suleja General Hospital to specialist health facilities for better care.
Accompanied by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, Idris emphasized that President Tinubu had instructed federal agencies to provide urgent assistance to the critically injured.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement by his media aide Garba Shehu, expressed disappointment over the persistence of fuel scooping despite its fatal consequences. He gave his condolences to the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and other leaders, including the Northern and Southern Governors’ Forums, also expressed grief over the incident. They called for investigations and measures to prevent future occurrences.
Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, described the explosion as a heartbreaking tragedy, while the Federal Road Safety Corps emphasized the importance of strict adherence to safety standards by fuel tanker operators.
The Sultan of Sokoto, through Jama’atu Nasril Islam, urged the government to enhance surveillance on highways prone to such accidents and expedite completion of the Suleja-Minna road, which has been under construction for over two decades.
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) also called for urgent repairs of failed highways and sensitization campaigns to educate the public on the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers. The union reaffirmed its commitment to road safety through continuous training for its members.