Tanker explosions have claimed 1,613 lives in Nigeria, says Senator
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The Senator representing Jigawa Northwest senatorial district, Senator Babangida Hussaini says Nigeria must take urgent measures to curtail the high number of deaths due to tanker explosions.
He said in an interview with The Syndicate that more than 1,613 Nigerians have so far died in 169 fuel tanker explosions recorded across the country between June 2009 and October 2024.
The Senator said this prompted him to introduce a bill before the Senate to regulate and enhance safety standards with regard to articulated vehicles.
Hussaini, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said he led the debate on the general principles of the Articulated Vehicles Safety Regulations Bill 2025 at plenery on March 19, 2025.
“The bill was read for the first time in November 2024. The bill is to make provisions for the regulation and safety of articulated vehicles in line with the constitution.
“One of the provisions of the bill is the aspect that seeks to make it mandatory for vehicles to be inspected every six months in order to guarantee their road worthiness.
“This is necessary in the view of the fact that most of the accidents on our roads are caused by negligence of the vehicles by their owners and drivers, whom most times don’t take the vehicles’ road worthiness into consideration as so long as they are moving.”
The observed that when passed into law, the bill will contribute to the search for lasting solution to the menace of articulated vehicles on Nigerian roads.
“Recently, we witnessed a series of mishaps involving petrol tankers explosions in Jigawa, Lagos, Niger and other parts of the country. The persistent carnage caused by the haulage of petroleum products has made it imperative for legislation of this nature.
“It is necessary for the Senate to support and expedite the passage of the bill in view of its significance. There won’t be any additional financial boden on government when the law comes into effect. It will be strictly for enforcement by existing statotry bodies.”
