Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has pledged ₦1 million to each family of those who lost their lives and ₦500,000 to every injured survivor of the recent tanker explosion in Essa, Katcha Local Government Area.
The governor made the announcement on Thursday during a condolence visit to the community, where he carried out an on-the-spot assessment and interacted with local leaders and residents.
This was disclosed in a statement released Thursday night by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim.
According to reports, the tragic explosion occurred around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday after a fire broke out while 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 the death toll from the petrol tanker explosion rose to 42.
Arah, who spoke on ARISE News, attributed the tragic incident to the poor condition of the road and the high temperature in the area, which he said contributed to the ignition of the fire.
“As of the last count, the total number of dead stands at 42, and the number of injured persons is 52,” Arah said.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, the governor prayed for the speedy recovery of those receiving treatment in hospitals in Bida and Abuja.
He condemned the act of residents scooping fuel from fallen tankers, describing it as both dangerous and criminal.
“We came to commiserate with them over loss of lives and to also talk to their conscience.
“It is a terrible thing that a truck will fall and people of the community will carry containers to scoop fuel. It is theft and must be addressed as such, and we can’t encourage it,” he warned.
Bago also “announced a donation of N1m to families of each of the deceased victims and N500,000 to each of the injured victims receiving treatment.”
While acknowledging that poor road conditions contributed to the tragedy, he urged residents to act responsibly and assist in rescue efforts during such emergencies rather than endanger their lives.
The governor also revealed that business mogul, Aliko Dangote, had pledged to repair the Mokwa–Lambata Road, with work expected to commence soon.
“The state government will build a new primary healthcare center in Essa Community to cater for their health needs,” the statement added.