Some Persons Scooping Petrol From Fallen Tankers
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has revealed that about 411 Nigerians lost their lives in 2024 while attempting to scoop fuel from fallen tankers.
This alarming figure according to them, accounts for 7.6 per cent of all road accident-related deaths recorded in the year.
The FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, described the act of scooping fuel from crashed tankers as a key contributor to the high death toll.
Speaking at the conclusion of the “Operation Zero Tolerance” special patrol campaign in Abuja on Monday, he said “It is pertinent to emphasise at this juncture that, out of the total fatalities that occurred in 2024, 411 deaths, representing 7.6 per cent of the total deaths, were not primarily caused by the crashes but a secondary factor, which is the very monster we are fighting today: scooping of fuel from fallen tankers.”
Just last week, at least 98 people died in Niger State when a fuel tanker explosion occurred as people gathered to scoop spilt fuel.
The FRSC also disclosed that a total of 5,421 people died in road accidents across Nigeria in 2024, marking a 7 per cent increase from the 5,081 fatalities recorded in 2023.
Mohammed noted that the corps recorded 9,570 road traffic crashes nationwide during the year, a 10 per cent reduction from the 10,617 incidents reported in 2023.
“Furthermore, 31,154 people were injured in 2024, compared to 31,874 in 2023, representing a 2 per cent decrease.
“However, the corps recorded a 7 per cent increase in fatalities as 5,421 people were killed in 2024 while 5,081 people were killed in 2023,” Mohammed added.
He identified Plateau, Abia, Kaduna, Kwara, and Ondo states as the locations of major crashes, with the most devastating occurring in Jebba, Kwara State, where 30 people lost their lives.
Despite a decline in the total number of crashes, the corps marshal attributed the rise in fatalities to human factors such as reckless driving, overloading, and fatigue.
“Analysis of our annual performance indicates that from January to December 2024, the corps recorded a drastic reduction in road traffic crashes as well as in the number of people injured when compared to the annual record of 2023,” Mohammed said.
The FRSC reiterated its commitment to reducing road accidents and preventing secondary fatalities caused by fuel scooping.
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