Eighty six of the victims of the Saturday’s fuel tanker explosion in Dikko, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, have been buried, the State Emergency Management Agency disclosed yesterday.
The Director-General of the agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, said the mass burial, conducted in collaboration with Gurara LGA and local volunteers, took place between 5 p.m. and midnight at the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre.
He said while most of the bodies were interred in a mass grave, five were taken by relatives for burial in their hometowns, and one person passed away at the healthcare facility.
The explosion occurred after a fuel tanker crashed at Dikko Junction, a major route between Niger and Kaduna states.
As residents attempted to scoop fuel from the spill, a massive blaze erupted, claiming the lives of many, including those trying to assist the victims.
Travellers and passersby were also caught up in the inferno; just as many businesses operating around the area also perished.
Narrating the incident to Daily Trust yesterday, a resident, who gave his name as Yerima, said: “Security operatives tried their best to stop people from scooping the fuel but they didn’t listen. One of the boys even brought out a knife to stab a police officer who wanted to stop him from scooping fuel.”
The roads around Dikko, particularly the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, are heavily trafficked. The dilapidated condition of the roads has exacerbated the risk of accidents, as many drivers avoid the more insecure Kaduna-Birnin Gwari route.
Tanker accidents killed 265 in 4 months – FG
The federal government yesterday set up a committee to take care of the hospital bills and welfare of injured victims as well as families of dead victims of the tanker explosion.
Members of the committee include the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Standard Organization of Nigeria, the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Petroleum Tanker Driver Association amongst others.
Speaking yesterday in Dikko when he visited the scene of the incident, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Tinubu had set up the committee to look at the causes of the recurrent disasters and proffer ways to put an end to them.
He said the president had directed that all victims be moved to National Hospital, Abuja, and other tertiary hospitals that would provide intensive care for the injured victims.
At the Suleja General Hospital where the victims were taken to, Idris said eight injured victims died on Sunday while receiving treatment.
He said it was unfortunate that such a tanker explosion had occurred four times since September 2024 and had killed a total of 265 people.
Earlier, the Emir of Suleja urged Nigerians to avoid greed so that they would not put themselves in danger.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered all the Commissioners of Police across the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to strengthen their Motor Traffic Divisions.
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, urged tanker operators to always adhere strictly to safety standards and observe due protocols in transloading fuel products.
