*Bago visit accident scene, bans trucks plying one way
By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
No fewer than 86 bodies burnt to death in the fuel tank explosion which occurred at the weekend at Dikko junction in Gurara local government of Niger state have been recovered while 80 of them were given mass burial.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah confirmed the mass burial of the 80 bodies in Minna on Sunday in a statement on the accident.
It was learnt that the petrol tanker loaded with petroleum product spilled its contents Saturday morning in an accident at Dikko junction and that it however exploded after some residents of the area went to scoop its content.
The NSEMA Director General of the agency, disclosed that all the corpses were recovered and buried accordingly.
He said, “80 of them were buried in a mass grave at the Dikko Primary Health Care premises, while five were taken away for burial in the town by their relatives, and one died at the Dikko Primary Health Care”.
According to Arah, “the mass burial was conducted by NSEMA in collaboration with the Gurara LGA and volunteers on Saturday, January 18, 2025, between 5:00 pm and 12:00 am”.
He also said that the number of injured persons now stands at 55, adding that they are currently receiving medical attention.
The Niger State Governor, farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago has expresses shock over the accident describing it as heartbreaking and unfortunate.
“This is a national tragedy, worrisome, heartbreaking and unfortunate”, he said during a visit to the scene at the weekend.
He announced the prohibition of heavy duty trucks from plying one way through the Dikko junction bridge, adding that, ” no vehicle coming from Maje axis should be allowed to pass through the Dikko bridge”.
He decried the recklessness of some drivers, explaining that “it is not acceptable for any vehicle coming from Maje to pass through the bridge, rather they should follow under the bridge and take a U-turn appropriately”.
He enjoined the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps to establish a detachment in the area to ensure the enforcement of the directive, while calling on all relevant transport Unions to cooperate with the Road Safety Corps.
He called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the completion of the Minna-Suleja road, adding that “the delay in the road project is contributing to the continuous loss of many lives”.
The farmer Governor thanked the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Fire Service, Raod Safety, Union of Road Transport (NURT) among other agencies that have contributed to the evacuation of victims.
He directed that doctors from Minna Hospitals should be deployed to assist in treating the injured victims currently receiving treatment in Suleja General Hospital.
