Barely two days after a tragic tanker explosion claimed the lives of 96 people and left many injured in Niger State, residents in Bida town gathered around another fallen truck to scoop oil, ignoring the recent catastrophic event.
The incident occurred on Monday near AYM Shafa filling station, where a tanker reportedly carrying groundnut oil overturned.
Videos circulating online show youths swarming the broken-down truck, some managing to scoop oil while others fled the scene, possibly fearing a repeat of the Dikko Junction tragedy in Gurara Local Government Area.
A resident, Yinusa Jiya, expressed disbelief at the situation, stating, “The people were not even afraid despite earlier assumptions that it was petrol.”
Another eyewitness, Fatimah Mohammed, confirmed the tanker was carrying groundnut oil and described how residents took advantage of the spill.
“The tanker fell yesterday (Monday), and residents stole huge amounts of the groundnut oil dripping from it,” she said.
This comes in the wake of the deadly explosion at Dikko Junction, where a fallen petrol tanker burst into flames, killing 96 people instantly and injuring scores more.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) revealed that 86 victims of the explosion were given a mass burial on Sunday, while others are still receiving treatment for first-degree burns in various hospitals.
Authorities have blamed the high casualty figures on residents who attempted to scoop fuel from the overturned tanker, igniting the fire.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in response to the tragedy, directed the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to intensify public campaigns against such dangerous behavior.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) also expressed concern over the rising casualty figures, describing the magnitude of burns suffered by victims as alarming.
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