THE OLUKU TANKER EXPLOSION

On October 15, 2026, a petrol tanker fell at Oluku Market, along Lagos-Benin Expressway, spilling its contents. Many people trooped to the scene to scavenge for spilled petrol. And a few hours later, the tanker burst into flames. The inferno destroyed market stalls, goods, several vehicles. According to media report about four people were killed while many more sustained varying degrees of injuries. Media reports have it that several hours after the conflagration, the Edo State Emergency Management Agency (EdoSEMA) arrived the scene and security operatives cordoned off the area to prevent further exposure.

Tanker explosion tragedies are troubling, more so as they are preventable. Official FRSC record has it that between 2023 and now, Nigeria has recorded over 70 cases of fuel tanker explosions, resulting in at least 740 fatalities across the country. And the tragedy has become more frequent in this era of fuel subsidy removal that has exponentially pushed up the prices of petroleum products. In 2023 there were 13 cases of fuel tanker explosions with 118 fatalities. In 2024, there were also 13 incidents of tanker explosions resulting in 85 deaths. In 2025 about 10 cases were recorded between January and March, resulting in 120 deaths.

This year, apart from the Oluku explosion, we had other four incidents. In March, a gas tanker explosion occurred at Sangotedo, Ajah, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway killing two people and destroying multiple adjoining shops, warehouses and power grid installation. In August, a fully loaded diesel tanker collided with a heavy truck carrying bags of animal feeds, triggering a massive fire that killed two people and injured two others in Agu-Awka area, along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. On September 30, 2026 a petrol tanker collided with a heavy-duty truck along Airport Road in the Bado area of Sokoto, spilling its contents but the timely arrival of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) forestalled a disaster. And on Sunday, October 4, 2026, a fuel-laden tanker collided with a stationary truck in front of the Odukpani Local Government Area headquarters resulting in two fatalities and destruction of property.

Experts have identified factors such as lack of pipeline infrastructure, bad roads, inadequate truck maintenance, poor regulatory oversight, lack of punishment for offenders as reasons for these incessant accidents. But much more fundamentally, economic hardship is forcing people into the highly dangerous practice of scooping spilled fuel from fallen tankers. It is not ignorance but desperation for survival that has made the people lose sight of the inherent danger of tampering with highly inflammable products like petrol. Inflation has eroded the purchasing power of the people and rendered the average Nigeria families helpless. More than 160 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor. There is a high level of unemployment and heavy dependency burden. Many Nigerians live from hand-to-mouth while many don’t even know where their next meal would come from.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed,* Actress, social activist, politician,* London, UK