The Senate has urgently requested support for the nearly 300 survivors of Tuesday night’s tragic tanker explosion in Jigawa State. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, along with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has been asked to provide immediate aid to the victims.
The explosion, which took place on the Hadejia Expressway, claimed approximately 100 lives. According to Sen. Hussaini Babangida (APC, Jigawa-West), who raised the issue under matters of urgent public importance, the deceased were attempting to scoop petrol from a fully-laden tanker when it exploded.
“Mr. President, this is one incident too many, and it is putting pressure on already limited medical facilities,” Babangida said, highlighting that over 300 individuals suffered burns of varying severity.
In response, the Senate called for security agencies to adopt more proactive measures in preventing such tragedies. Senators also observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the Jigawa State Government to assist the survivors and launch awareness campaigns on the dangers of fuel scooping from broken-down tankers. He emphasized that similar incidents had occurred in other parts of the country, including Lagos and Ikeja, and stressed the need for preventive actions.
