Nigerians have been cautioned by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to refrain from collecting fuel from wrecked trucks that are carrying gasoline-related goods.
This warning was issued by FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed on Monday in Abuja to reporters covering the just-finished Operation Zero Tolerance.
He voiced concern about the increasing number of incidents and fatalities, particularly the number of people killed when removing petroleum products from tankers that have crashed.
Mohammed clarified that the increase in 2024 fatalities was due to fallen tankers.
According to him, the situation is concerning, particularly in light of the deaths caused by the removal of petroleum products from tankers that crashed in the states of Jigawa and Niger.
He determined that three fatalities or more per crash threshold were caused by the transportation of people in haulage trucks, the overloading of people, the transportation of petroleum products in passenger vehicles, and exhaustion.
He said that the number of traffic accidents, fatalities, and injuries that occurred between December 15, 2024, and January 15 was determined by five landmark crashes.
These were the Bende-Ohafia road in Abia State on December 22, 2024, which also claimed 11 lives, and Jing, Shendam in Plateau State on December 20, 2024, which also claimed 11 lives.
Another occurred on the Kaduna-Abuja motorway on December 25, 2024, killing eight people; another occurred in Jebba, Kwara State, on December 26, 2024, killing thirty people; and a third occurred on the Owo-Ikare highway near Ose Bridge on December 28, 2024, killing thirteen people.
“Out of the 37 critical crashes that killed three or more people, these five landmark crashes were the most fatal crashes and accounted for 7% of the total crashes recorded during the period,” he said.
According to Mohammed, the data showed that 247 people died as a result of the 37 crashes alone, accounting for 39% of all the deaths that were reported during that time.
“It is worrisome and intolerable that the 2024 end-of-year special patrol documented fatalities. Consequently, it is clear that human mistake caused the crashes,” he stated.
However, the head of the FRSC insisted that the Corps was dedicated to fulfilling its mission by following the president’s orders.
He announced that the Corps would work with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to raise public awareness of the risks associated with collecting fuel after tanker crashes.
Mohammed stressed that the Corps would meet with stakeholders, particularly petroleum tanker unions, to proffer lasting solutions to the incessant crashes involving tanker drivers.
