The Federal Road Safety Corps in Benue State has revealed a tragic 411 Nigerians lost their lives in 2024 while trying to scoop fuel from fallen tankers. This grim figure accounts for 7.6% of all road traffic deaths that year.
At a town hall meeting themed “Discourage Fuel Scooping and Other Anti-Road Traffic Attitudes,” Sector Commander Steve Ayodele emphasized the deadly consequences of this irresponsible practice. “Tanker explosions often cause life-threatening burns and destroy shops, vehicles, and infrastructure,” he said, urging people to see fuel on the road not as a chance to profit, but as a life-threatening hazard.
He further warned that besides fuel scooping, reckless driving, disobeying traffic rules, and roadside trading near accident hotspots turn avoidable incidents into disasters. “Fuel scooping has become one of the deadliest practices on Nigerian roads… We have witnessed tragic incidents where lives were lost due to fires caused by this reckless act.”
Ayodele also highlighted other accident causes: unregulated driving hours, overloaded tankers, and weak safety inspections. Calling for a unified response, he urged drivers, community leaders, and government agencies to change behaviours and save lives.
Supporting the caution, Mr. Babalola Sheba from the Petroleum Regulatory Authority raised alarm over the environmental and health threats caused by fuel spills—polluting soil, water, air, and destroying crops and fish. He added that inhaling fuel fumes can also irritate skin and harm the respiratory system.
To curb this, the agency is enforcing safety upgrades for fuel tankers, such as installing anti-spill valves and speed-limiters, and introducing a colour-coding system for tanker types—light blue for petrol, yellow and light blue for diesel, deep yellow for kerosene, black for aviation fuel, and deep green for biofuels.
Mr. Emmanuel Ogbanje, coordinator of Vehicle Inspection in Benue, said the fight against fuel scooping requires consistent vehicle checks, compliance with axle load limits, and discipline on the roads. “Safety is not a goal but a continuous process,” he said, urging drivers to always carry valid licenses, avoid overloading, and report dangers.
As the discussion continues, officials stressed that reducing tragic losses needs public education and strong teamwork among all stakeholders. Fuel scooping is not just a dangerous risk—it’s a deadly habit that demands urgent change.
