Fuel tanker crashes in Jigawa, spills contents

Residents of Jigawa State were alarmed on Saturday night when a petrol tanker fell and spilled fuel along Maiduguri Road by Kiyawa roundabout in Kiyawa Local Government Area. The incident happened around 9:30 pm and caused serious tension in the area.

Many people rushed to the scene, with some carrying containers and buckets to scoop the fuel spilling on the ground. This was despite the high risk of fire from the spilled fuel.

The incident brought back bad memories of a similar tragedy in Majia, Taura Local Government Area in October 2024. That tanker explosion killed over 170 people and injured many others when residents tried to collect fuel from a fallen tanker.

Emergency responders quickly arrived to control the situation. They prevented residents from getting too close to the tanker.

Officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Federal Fire Service quickly mobilized to the scene. Reports said the tanker was still leaking fuel when the security and emergency teams got there.

Yahaya Ibrahim, the Public Relations Officer of the FRSC in Jigawa State, spoke to journalists on Sunday. He said their officials had cordoned off the area and stopped people from approaching the tanker to avoid any fire incidents.

He explained that the driver fell asleep while driving. “The driver sustained injuries as a result of the accident,” he said. The driver is getting medical treatment at Kiyawa General Hospital.

Badaruddeen Tijjani, the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, also confirmed the incident in a phone interview. He said, “The tanker fell along Maiduguri Road by Kiyawa roundabout yesterday night around 9:30 pm and started spilling fuel.”

He added that once they got the report, officers were sent to the scene to secure the area and manage the crowd.