Safety bureau commences investigation into Jigawa tanker explosion incident

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is aware of the tragic petrol tanker explosion that occurred in Majia town, Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State, on Tuesday, October 16, 2024, claiming over 150 lives and leaving many severely injured.

According to reports, the incident happened around 11 pm on Tuesday when a petrol tanker, en route from Kano to Nguru in Yobe State, lost control and crashed, spilling its contents.

As residents gathered to scoop the fuel, the tanker exploded, resulting in a massive inferno. “In line with our mandate to investigate accidents across all transportation sectors, the NSIB has deployed a go-team of experts to investigate the accident. The team will assess the circumstances surrounding the crash and the explosion to identify causal factors and provide safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this devastating accident. The NSIB is committed to uncovering the cause of the explosion and ensuring that safety lessons are learned,” Alex Badeh, Director General of the NSIB said.

The bureau said further updates on the investigation will be communicated as the team gathers and analyses evidence from the scene.

“In the meantime, citizens are reminded of the grave danger posed by scooping fuel from tanker accidents and are urged to avoid such scenes,” the bureau added.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.