A fuel tanker exploded in Kusogbogi, located in Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State, on Monday, January 27th. The explosion occurred near the boundary between Agaie and Lapai LGAs, raising concerns about the increasing frequency of tanker incidents in the state.
This explosion follows closely on the heels of a deadly tanker blast that occurred just a week earlier in Dikko, Gurara LGA, which resulted in at least 98 deaths and many others injured. Eyewitness Mallam Mahmud Abubakar reported that the tanker, attempting to overtake another truck, lost control and caught fire after it fell. Abubakar also noted that another tanker exploded in the same location the previous week.
He attributed Tuesday’s explosion to overspeeding and loss of control, while last week’s incident was caused when a tanker collided with a stationary truck parked by the roadside, igniting both vehicles.
The State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident but assured that no lives were lost. According to Abiodun, the tanker, with registration number DKA 03 A, was driven by Shamsudeen Dayabu from Matazun Local Government Area of Katsina State. The tanker, which was transporting 40,000 liters of PMS from Lagos to Kaduna, exploded along the Agaie/Lapai road. While the road was temporarily closed for safety, normalcy was eventually restored for road users.
