Tanker Crash: NOA DG Asks National Assembly To Criminalise Fuel Scooping

The director-general of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has condemned in the strongest terms the dangerous and irresponsible act of scooping fuel from a fallen tanker, as witnessed on Monday, January 20, at the Liverpool Bridge in the Apapa area of Lagos State.

Consequently, he called on the National Assembly to urgently initiate and enact comprehensive legislation that will expressly criminalise fuel scooping from fallen tankers, with firm, clear, and deterrent penalties for offenders.

According to him, sustained public enlightenment must now be complemented by strong legal and enforcement frameworks to decisively end the deadly behaviour.

In a statement issued to journalists on Monday in Abuja, Issa-Onilu described the practice as condemnable and completely unacceptable in a modern society, warning that it poses an extreme and avoidable threat to human life, public safety, and national infrastructure.

According to him, the risks involved are not limited to those directly engaged in the act, as motorists, nearby communities, emergency responders, and critical national assets are equally exposed to grave danger. He stressed that such risks far outweigh any perceived or imagined benefit.

The NOA Director General noted that the Agency has, over the years, consistently deployed nationwide sensitisation and public enlightenment campaigns to educate Nigerians on the dangers associated with fuel scooping and other high-risk behaviours.

However, he expressed regret that despite sustained advocacy, repeated warnings, and value-reorientation efforts, some individuals continue to engage in the life-threatening practice.

Issa-Onilu stated unequivocally that the behaviour cannot be justified under any circumstances.

“This is not poverty. Poverty does not take away the sense in people’s heads, nor does it eliminate judgement or the instinct for self-preservation. What we are witnessing is a conscious, reckless, and criminal disregard for human life and public safety,” he said.

He recalled that Nigeria has recorded several tragic incidents in the past where fuel tanker accidents resulted in explosions and infernos after people attempted to scoop fuel, leading to the loss of hundreds of lives.

These recurring tragedies, he noted, are painful reminders that the menace is recurrent, preventable, and must no longer be tolerated.

Issa-Onilu emphasised that Nigerians must collectively reject actions that repeatedly result in mass casualties, national trauma, and avoidable loss of lives.

He reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to intensifying value-reorientation and safety advocacy campaigns across the country.