Panic gripped residents of Jigawa State on Saturday night after a fuel-laden tanker fell and spilt its contents along the busy Maiduguri road by Kiyawa roundabout in Kiyawa Local Government Area of the state, causing serious tension in the area.
The incident, which occurred around 9:30 pm, attracted a large crowd of residents and passersby to the scene, with many carrying containers, buckets and other items suspected to be for scooping the fuel spilling on the ground, despite the high risk of fire outbreak.
The development has raised fresh fears in the state, recalling a similar tragic incident in Majia, Taura Local Government Area in October 2024.
The Majia tanker explosion claimed over 170 lives and left several others injured when residents rushed to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker.
The latest incident, however, was quickly brought under control by emergency responders who prevented residents from getting close to the tanker.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Federal Fire Service were said to have swiftly mobilised to the scene.
Reports indicated that the tanker was still spilling fuel at the time security and emergency officials arrived to contain the situation.
Speaking with the journalists on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer of the FRSC in Jigawa State, Yahaya Ibrahim, said the corps’ officials had already cordoned off the area and stopped people from approaching the tanker to avoid any fire outbreak.
He noted that the driver fell asleep while driving.
“The driver sustained injuries as a result of the accident,” he said, adding that the driver is currently receiving medical attention at Kiyawa General Hospital.
Further confirming the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Jigawa State Command, Badaruddeen Tijjani, said, “The tanker fell along Maiduguri Road by Kiyawa roundabout yesterday night around 9:30 pm and started spilling fuel.”
He said that upon receiving the report, officers of the command were immediately deployed to the scene to cordon off the area and control the crowd.