Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has announced a donation of ₦1 million to each family who lost a loved one and ₦500,000 to each survivor injured in the recent tanker explosion at Essa, Katcha Local Government Area.
The governor made this known on Thursday during a condolence visit to the affected community, where he met with local leaders and residents and inspected the scene of the tragedy.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, the governor expressed deep sadness over the incident and prayed for the quick recovery of those still receiving treatment in hospitals in Bida and Abuja.
The tragic explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a fire broke out as residents were scooping petrol from a fallen tanker along the Bida–Badegi–Agaie road.
The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Authority, Abdullahi Arah, confirmed that 42 people had died while 52 others were injured. He attributed the incident to the poor state of the road and extreme heat, which likely triggered the fire.
Governor Bago condemned the dangerous practice of residents scooping fuel from crashed tankers, describing it as both life-threatening and criminal.
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“We came to sympathize with them over the loss of lives, but also to appeal to their conscience. It’s a terrible thing that when a truck falls, people rush to scoop fuel — it’s theft, and it must stop,” he said.
While acknowledging that bad roads contributed to the tragedy, Bago urged residents to act responsibly during emergencies and assist in rescue efforts rather than put their lives at risk.
He also revealed that businessman Aliko Dangote had pledged to repair the Mokwa–Lambata Road, with work expected to begin soon.
Additionally, the governor announced that a new primary healthcare center would be built in Essa Community to cater to residents’ medical needs.
