The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, has condemned the recurring practice of residents rushing to scoop petrol from fallen tankers, describing it as a reflection of poor community leadership and eroded national values.
Issa-Onilu spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, following the latest tragedy in Essa, Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, where at least 39 people were killed and over 60 others injured after a fuel tanker explosion on Tuesday.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the explosion occurred when residents rushed to collect spilled petrol from a fallen tanker. The fire, which spread quickly, destroyed several houses, vehicles, and motorcycles before it was contained.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State described the incident as “tragic and avoidable,” lamenting the recurring nature of such disasters despite repeated public warnings.
Issa-Onilu revealed that President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed the NOA to embark on a nationwide sensitisation campaign after a similar explosion in Dikko community, also in Niger State, which killed over 80 people earlier in the year.
“Following the incident that happened at Dikko, where several people died for the same reason, the President gave us a marching order to conduct a nationwide sensitisation,” Issa-Onilu said.
He noted that the NOA campaign brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women groups, and security agencies, but the agency’s findings showed that awareness alone could not solve the problem.
“Our findings show clearly that sensitisation and enlightenment alone won’t solve this problem. They are quite aware of the danger,” he stated.
Recounting the Dikko incident, Issa-Onilu said security operatives had arrived early and warned residents to stay away from the fuel but were overpowered.
“The police arrived almost 20 minutes before the fire and tried to prevent the people from approaching the product, but they were chased away. Barely 10 minutes later, the explosion occurred. It was a failure of leadership at the community level,” he said.
The NOA boss argued that the persistence of such tragedies points to a deeper social and moral crisis.
“It’s about values in this country. It’s about values,” Issa-Onilu stressed.
He added that the agency had engaged the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and other stakeholders to find sustainable solutions, including stricter safety regulations and coordinated responses to accidents.
Fuel tanker explosions have become a recurring tragedy in Nigeria. In 1998, over 1,000 people died in Jesse, Delta State, while recent incidents in Dikko and Essa have claimed hundreds of lives, underscoring persistent challenges in public safety, enforcement, and community responsibility.
