FRSC Reports 411 Deaths in 2024 from Fuel Scooping Incidents

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has disclosed that 411 Nigerians died in 2024 while attempting to collect fuel from fallen tankers.

The Benue State Sector Commander, Mr. Steve Ayodele, made the revelation on Tuesday in Makurdi during a town hall meeting with trailer and tanker drivers focused on crash prevention.

He noted that these fatalities accounted for 7.6 percent of all road traffic deaths recorded in 2024, emphasizing that the impact extends far beyond the number of lives lost.

The meeting, held under the theme “Discourage Fuel Scooping and Other Anti-Road Traffic Attitudes,” was convened to address practices that turn accidents into major disasters.

“Tanker explosions often result in life-threatening burns and destroy shops, vehicles, and infrastructure, while also worsening the economic hardships of victims’ families. Fuel scooping and other unsafe behaviors are turning avoidable road accidents into major disasters.

“Tanker and trailer crashes frequently leave devastating consequences, made worse by unsafe conduct at crash sites. Actions like fuel scooping, reckless driving, disobedience to traffic rules, and roadside trading near accident-prone areas put lives at serious risk.

“Fuel scooping has become one of the deadliest practices on Nigerian roads. Instead of seeing spilt fuel as a hazard, many rush to collect it. Tragically, we have witnessed incidents where lives were lost due to fires caused by this reckless act,” Ayodele said.