File photo: unrelated scene of a tanker explosion
By Deborah Nnamdi
No fewer than 30 people were killed and about 40 others sustained varying degrees of burns in a tragic tanker explosion on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, along Essan and Badeggi communities between Bida and Agaie in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.
The incident occurred around 11:00 a.m. when a petroleum tanker, reportedly heading from Lagos to northern Nigeria, crashed and spilled its contents. Eyewitnesses said residents rushed to the scene to scoop the leaking fuel, but tragedy struck when the tanker exploded, engulfing scores of people in flames.
Many victims were burnt beyond recognition, while the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention.
Confirming the incident, the Niger State Chairman of the Tanker Drivers Association and National Ex-Officio of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Farouk Mohammed Kawo, described the explosion as “devastating and avoidable.”
According to him, the ill-fated tanker was conveying petroleum products to the northern region when it crashed. He lamented that more than 30 tanker accidents had occurred along the Bida–Agaie route in October alone, blaming the high number of crashes on the deplorable state of the road.
Kawo expressed concern over the recurring practice of residents scooping fuel from accident scenes despite repeated warnings.
“Just last Sunday, a tanker carrying groundnut oil also crashed in the same area, and residents rushed to scoop the product,” he said.
He appealed to Governor Mohammed Umar Bago to urgently rehabilitate the affected portion of the road to prevent further loss of lives and property.
