The Federal Government has initiated an investigation through a stakeholders’ committee to determine the underlying causes of Saturday’s petrol tanker explosion at Dikko Junction, along the Dikko-Maje Minna road in Gurara Local Government Area, Niger State.
The tragic incident has claimed 86 lives, with 55 individuals injured. Authorities have recovered 80 corpses, which were given a mass burial at the Dikko Primary Health Center premises.
The investigative committee comprises representatives from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Petroleum Tanker Drivers and other relevant stakeholders.
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The team is tasked with presenting recommendations to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this during a visit to condole with the Emir of Suleija, HRH Sarkin Zazzau, Suleija, Mohammed Akwwal, and his subjects over the devastating tanker explosion.
Speaking at the Emir’s palace, Idris expressed the Federal Government’s deep sorrow over the incident, which took 84 lives in Suleija.
He also noted similar explosions since September 2024 have collectively claimed over 265 lives.
He stated: “The President has directed that we come here to condole with our Father, His Royal Highness and all his senior councillors here present and indeed the entire people of Suleija and Niger State, over this very unfortunate incident that occurred yesterday.
“The President is really saddened by what has happened and he is worried to the extent that he has said that a high-powered committee will be set up to look at these incidents.
“In the last couple of months, from September to this time, we have had four of these major incidences. We had the first one between Ibadan and Ife, where a tanker exploded.
Five houses and cars and other vehicles were touched. Almost a day after here in Niger State, in Agai about 48 persons lost their lives. This was on the 8th of September. The preceding year, 2024, 48 people lost their lives. Not long afterwards, on the 15th of October, again in 2024 about 144 people also lost their lives in Niger State in a similar incident.
“And now, only Saturday here at Diko Junction within this emirate 86 people have lost their lives.
“Now, if you put that together you will see that over 265 people have so far lost their lives in this kind of incident.
“The government is very worried about it and as a result of that, has set up a committee comprising the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, other critical stakeholders like NEMA, SON, IPMAN, and all other stakeholders to come together to find the remote and immediate causes of this, and how to avert the occurrence or the reoccurrence of this as we move on.
“Mr. President is saddened by this and is determined to bring to an end this kind of occurrence. And as a result of that, he has directed the National Orientation Agency under my ministry to step up an enlargement campaign and education of people.”
The Minister urged citizens to avoid tanker accident scenes and condemned the act of scooping fuel.
He said: “You cannot just have tankers, by whatever reason, involved in an accident and then people rushing to the site to scoop this petroleum product, PMS.
“It is absolutely wrong. It has led to the loss of lives of hundreds of people and government will not allow this to happen again.”
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