The Federal Road Safety Corps has warned Nigerians to stop scooping fuel from crashed tankers.

The FRSC corps marshal, Shehu Mohammed, gave this warning while addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja on its recently concluded Operation Zero Tolerance.

He expressed alarm over the rising number of collisions and fatalities, especially the rate of deaths during the removal of petroleum products from crashed tankers.

Mr Mohammed explained that fallen tankers were the reason for the rise in fatalities in 2024.

He said the situation was worrisome, especially in cases of fatalities as a result of scooping of petroleum products from crashed tankers in Niger and Jigawa.

He identified conveyance of persons in haulage vehicles, overloading of persons, conveying petroleum products in passenger vehicles and fatigue as causes of three deaths and above per crash threshold.

He said five landmark crashes defined the number of road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries recorded between December 15, 2024 and January 15.

“These were Jing, Shendam in Plateau State on December 20, 2024, that killed 11 people, and Bende-Ohafia route in Abia state on December 22, 2024, that also killed 11 people.

“Another one was December 25, 2024, on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway that killed eight passengers and that of Jebba, Kwara state, on December 26, 2024, which claimed 30 lives as well as that of Owo-Ikare route before Ose bridge on December 28, 2024, that led to the death of 13 passengers.

“These five landmark crashes were the most fatal crashes out of the 37 critical crashes that killed three persons or more, and that accounted for seven per cent of the total crashes recorded during the period,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said the data indicated that those 37 crashes alone resulted in the death of 247 people, which constituted 39 per cent of the total deaths recorded within the period.

He added, “The 2024 end-of-the-year special patrol recorded fatalities is alarming and unacceptable. Therefore, it is obvious that the crashes were as a result of human errors.”

The FRSC boss, however, maintained that the corps was committed to achieving its mandate through compliance with the presidential directives. He said the corps would collaborate with the National Orientation Agency in sensitising the public on the dangers of scooping fuel from crashed tankers.

Mr Mohammed stressed that the corps would meet with stakeholders, particularly petroleum tanker unions, to proffer lasting solutions to the incessant crashes involving tanker drivers.

However, he appealed to passengers to avoid boarding trailers and trucks meant for goods during daytime or night trips due to the inherent dangers.

(NAN)