The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has strongly condemned the act of scooping fuel from fallen tankers, describing it as dangerous, irresponsible and unacceptable in a modern society.
Issa-Onilu’s condemnation followed an incident on Monday at the Liverpool Bridge in the Apapa area of Lagos State, where members of the public were seen scooping fuel from a fallen tanker.
Reacting via a statement on Monday, the Director General said the practice poses an extreme and avoidable threat to human life, public safety and national infrastructure.
According to him, the danger extends beyond those involved in the act to motorists, nearby communities, emergency responders, and critical public assets.
“The collateral danger involved is enormous and far outweighs any perceived or imagined benefit,” Issa-Onilu said.
He noted that the NOA has, over the years, carried out sustained nationwide sensitisation and public enlightenment campaigns to educate Nigerians on the dangers of fuel scooping and similar high-risk behaviour.
However, he expressed concern that despite repeated warnings and value-reorientation efforts, some individuals have continued to engage in the life-threatening practice.
The Director General stressed that fuel scooping cannot be justified under any circumstances, rejecting attempts to link the behaviour to poverty.
“This is not poverty. Poverty does not take away the sense in people’s heads, nor does it eliminate judgment or the instinct for self-preservation. What we are witnessing is a conscious, reckless and criminal disregard for human life and public safety,” he said.
Issa-Onilu recalled several tragic incidents across the country where fuel tanker accidents resulted in explosions and infernos after people attempted to scoop fuel, leading to the loss of hundreds of lives.
He described such incidents as painful reminders that the practice is recurrent, preventable and must no longer be tolerated.
On January 18, 2025, an explosion occurred near Suleja in Niger State after a fuel tanker overturned. Residents rushed to scoop petrol before an inferno erupted, killing more than 100 people and injuring dozens.
Also in Niger State, another tragedy occurred in October 2025 along the Bida–Agaie road, where at least 30 people were burnt to death and more than 40 were injured while scooping fuel from a crashed tanker.
Similarly, media reports indicate that at least 70 people died in another fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria in January 2025 after a crashed truck spilled petrol that residents attempted to collect.
Beyond recent cases, tanker-related disasters have claimed thousands of lives over the years. Studies show that oil tanker fires and explosions have killed about 1,896 Nigerians between 2009 and January 2025, often triggered by people gathering spilled fuel.
In view of the grave danger, the NOA boss called on the National Assembly to urgently initiate and pass legislation that expressly criminalises fuel scooping from fallen tankers and prescribes clear and deterrent penalties for offenders.
According to him, public enlightenment alone is no longer sufficient and must be backed by strong legal and enforcement frameworks to end the deadly practice.
Issa-Onilu urged Nigerians to collectively reject actions that repeatedly lead to mass casualties, national trauma and avoidable loss of lives, while reaffirming the Agency’s commitment to intensifying value-reorientation and safety advocacy nationwide.
“Human life is sacred and priceless. No situation, no excuse and no momentary gain should justify conduct that places lives in imminent danger,” he said.
