The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, has issued a strong warning against the growing practice of scooping fuel from overturned or accident-involved tanker trucks, describing it as “deadly, reckless and completely avoidable.”

Adeyemi gave the warning on Monday following the circulation of a video showing residents scooping product from a fallen tanker at Tincan Liverpool Bridge in Apapa, Lagos.

Authorities later confirmed that the tanker was conveying diesel, but the Fire Service said the nature of the product did not diminish the extreme danger of the act.

According to official records cited by the Service, at least 411 Nigerians lost their lives in 2024 while attempting to collect petrol or diesel from crashed tankers, making fuel scooping one of the leading causes of post-accident fatalities nationwide.

States including Niger, Jigawa, Enugu, Kogi and Rivers have in recent years witnessed horrific explosions triggered by such actions, incidents that resulted in mass deaths, severe burns and destruction of property.

“These tragedies follow the same pattern,” Adeyemi noted.

“Once ignition occurs, fire spreads rapidly and uncontrollably, leaving victims with little chance of escape and overwhelming emergency responders.”

The Fire Service listed several reasons the practice often ends in disaster, stressing that spilled fuel releases highly flammable vapour that could ignite from a simple spark, cigarette ember, engine heat or static discharge.

Also, tankers involved in crashes are usually unstable and prone to rupture or explosion, crowds gathering at spill sites multiply the risk and hinder rescue operations, and diesel, though less volatile than petrol, can still ignite and cause severe burns when mixed with heat sources or confined vapour.

“No quantity of fuel is worth a human life. Nigerians must prioritise safety over material gain,” the Controller General stressed in a statement signed by DCF P.O. Abraham, National PRO/Head, Corporate Services of the FFS.

The Service urged citizens to stay far away from the scene of any fuel spill, immediately notify emergency responders and cooperate fully with them, avoid touching, scooping or inhaling any spilled product, and warn others and discourage crowding around the area whenever a tanker accident occurs.

Adeyemi reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Fire Service to intensified public education, improved coordination at incident scenes and stronger collaboration with sister agencies to curb tanker-related deaths across the country.

He urged members of the public to contact the Federal Fire Service in the event of fire or related emergencies.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that a potentially catastrophic fire outbreak was averted on Monday on the Liverpool Bridge inward Mile 2 corridor, Apapa, after a diesel-laden tanker was involved in a serious accident.

The incident involved an articulated Iveco tanker, with registration number RBC 98 XX, which “lost vehicular control and toppled onto the bridge,” leading to “significant structural impairment to the tanker and the uncontrolled discharge of large volumes of diesel across the carriageway,” according to a press release by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

The spillage, which flowed from the elevated bridge to the area beneath, raised serious safety concerns, as the petroleum product is “highly combustible.” LASTMA said the situation was further worsened when “some unscrupulous individuals… attempted to scoop the diesel,” thereby increasing the risk of an inferno.

However, LASTMA officials, working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, were said to have acted swiftly after receiving an emergency alert.

According to the statement, operatives “immediately mobilised to the scene,” dispersed the crowd involved in the scooping of diesel, and “decisively cordoned off the affected area.”

The agency added that its personnel also “swiftly activated established inter-agency emergency response mechanisms” by notifying security operatives and the fire service, a move that “effectively neutralised the imminent threat of combustion.”

The tanker driver, who sustained severe injuries during the crash, was rescued from the scene.

LASTMA said he “was courageously rescued by LASTMA officials and urgently conveyed to the General Hospital, Apapa, where he is currently receiving comprehensive medical attention.”

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