BREAKING: Mixed reactions trail oil scooping in Minna, barely 48 hours after Diko tragedy

The haunting images of charred bodies from the Dikko Junction explosion are still fresh, yet another reckless scramble for spilled liquid gold has erupted in Bida, Niger State.

Barely 48 hours after a petrol tanker explosion killed 98 people at Dikko, scores of residents in Bida rushed to scoop groundnut oil from a fallen tanker near the AYM Shafa filling station.

Despite eerie similarity to the previous tragedy, Niger residents showed no hesitation, gathering with buckets and jerrycans, oblivious to the looming dangers.

Eyewitnesses described the chaotic scene. “People didn’t even care if it was petrol or oil,” said Yinusa Jiya, a resident.

“They were rushing as if nothing had happened in Dikko.” Another onlooker, Fatimah Mohammed, confirmed that the tanker contained groundnut oil, but the desperation remained the same.

This alarming trend of fuel scooping has sparked a wave of outrage across the country. Many Nigerians keep asking: Why do people risk their lives for a few liters of fuel or oil?

Speaking with NewsDirect on the incident, Human rights activist Abdul Usman Bako attributes the problem to multidimensional poverty as he believes that Nigerians are being pushed to the wall by economic hardship, forcing them to see accidents as opportunities rather than tragedies.

Bako said that a long-term solution lies in national reorientation, where people can be educated from childhood that looting a fallen tanker is not only criminal but deadly as this would result to a new culture of responsibility and mutual care.

“The fact that people now rush to scoop fuel from fallen tankers, knowing the dangers, tells us that something is fundamentally broken,” Bako said.

“This is a reflection of a failed system: bad roads, government negligence, and economic despair are all contributing factors,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Country Director, Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, GPFN, Rev Dr. John Joseph Hayab, said that poverty is not the only culprit. He argues that the erosion of family values and moral discipline has fueled this reckless mentality.

“There’s poverty, yes, but what about values? What happened to patience and contentment? In the past, if a child brought home something suspicious, parents would question them. Today, people see another’s misfortune as their own blessing. It’s tragic,” Hayab asked.

Hayab reaffirmed that this problem is deeply rooted in poor upbringing and a decaying sense of community, stressing that Nigerians for the collective good of all, must return to a society where misfortune is not an opportunity.

“Have you noticed that whenever there is fuel scarcity in Nigeria, filling stations and attendants take advantage of the situation to exploit people? It’s the same thing. These drivers are unfortunate enough to be involved in accidents, and now we think we have an opportunity to get fuel for free. But what will we do with it? Many of them don’t even have generators; they will simply sell it somewhere for a small amount of money. Yet, look at how they are risking lives for money that will not benefit them in the long run.

“As we consider multidimensional poverty, we must also recognise the absence of good morals, values, and the virtues we should be teaching in our homes. As parents, we must admit that we have failed as leaders. We also need to acknowledge that something needs to be done. That is why I would like to suggest that we return to a focus on family values, where children are raised with an understanding of values and virtues that promote respect and responsibility.

“We must not teach our children to scramble for everything. We are not yet out of the Diko disaster, and yet people are still going for it. No! We need to combat this mindset. The government, religious leaders, and the community all have a role to play. Everyone has a responsibility in raising children to understand that not everything they see should be something they fight over.

“Is the falling of tankers truly an accident, or is there another reason behind it? Are we creating the situation ourselves? Have tanker drivers perhaps sold most of the fuel and staged the accident as an excuse? There are many theories that could emerge. But the most important solution is to work towards changing the state of people’s minds, to understand that any misfortune should not be seen as an opportunity for personal gain. Whether it’s deliberate or accidental, no one should take advantage of such situations.

“Unless we start teaching these values, our children will grow up thinking that those who lost their lives in the Diko disaster were not clever enough, and they will fall victim too. No one knows when or where another tanker will fall, and another group of people will become victims. This has happened repeatedly in this country. People shout about it, and once it’s over, we go back to sleep. Leaders must educate the people, so they don’t continue to lose their lives over trivial matters,” he said.

Expressing shock over the nonchalant attitude of some individuals, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor of Kaduna state on Public Affairs, Hon. Victor Matthew Bobai lamented that the incident is heart wrenching.

Bobai while commiserating with the good people of Niger state appealed to the residents of Diko and surrounding communities to be more mindful of their surroundings and avoid taking unnecessary risks.

He said, “I am deeply concerned about the recent incident in Diko, where a tanker toppled and spilled its contents onto the road. The reckless behavior of the young individuals who gathered at the scene, scooping oil into containers without any regard for their safety, is alarming.

“This incident is a stark reminder of the tragic explosion at Dikko Junction, which resulted in the loss of nearly 100 lives and left many others with severe burns. It’s disheartening to see that despite this tragedy, some individuals still engage in such reckless behavior.

“As the SSA Public Affairs to Governor Uba Sani, I urge the citizens of Kaduna State to exercise caution and prioritize their safety above all else. We must learn from past tragedies and take responsibility for our actions.

“I appeal to the residents of Diko and surrounding communities to be more mindful of their surroundings and avoid taking unnecessary risks. Let us work together to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

“The Kaduna State Government is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens, and we will continue to work tirelessly to prevent such tragedies from happening again,” he said.