Nigeria safety expert warns against scooping spilled fuel

Timothy Iwuagwu, President of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, has issued a stern warning to the public against scooping spilled petroleum products at accident scenes. He cautioned that fuel vapors are highly volatile and can be ignited by a single spark or even electrostatic sources, potentially causing fatal explosions.

Iwuagwu’s warnings follow recent incidents, including a tanker explosion at Oluku Market in Benin City, Edo State, and a gas pipeline explosion in Rivers State. He emphasized that bystanders should stay away and that authorities should cordon off affected areas to prevent access.

Beyond public behavior, Iwuagwu identified systemic issues contributing to these accidents, including poor tanker design, mechanical defects, and inadequate inspections. He called for mandatory certification of tanker trucks before they are cleared from ports to ensure they are built to prevent leaks during overturns.

Data from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) indicates that 411 people died in 2024 while scooping fuel from crash sites, representing approximately 7.6 percent of all road deaths recorded that year. A separate study spanning from 2009 to 2024 documented 169 tanker-related fire and explosion incidents that resulted in 1,613 deaths.