After months of sorrow and heartbreak, Friday, March 28, 2025, marked a moment of joy and renewed hope for the families of over 140 victims who lost their lives, as well as the more than 70 others who sustained injuries. In the Majiya Tanker explosion, Governor Malam Umar Namadi delivered long-awaited financial support from various sympathisers to victims.
The catastrophic petroleum tanker accident occurred on October 10, 2024, in Majiya town of Taura local government plunged the people of Jigawa State, Nigeria, and indeed the entire nation, into mourning.
The disaster, which later erupted into flames, affected over 210 individuals, leaving unimaginable devastation.
The incident was a single accident with too many catastrophic consequences that will forever remain etched in the memories of the victims, their families, and the annals of history.
The news of the tragic incident of large-scale devastation went viral and drowned thousands of sympathisers, including governments, private/public organisations, partners, international bodies and individuals to Jigawa State, to stand in solidarity with the bereaved families and the state government.
President Bola Tinubu, who was abroad at the time of the incident, declared it a national tragedy with a bitter lesson for all.
Given the severity of the accident, which left dozens of children orphaned, wives widowed, and families without breadwinners, the state government established a committee to investigate the incident
Governor Umar Namadi, alongside his cabinet and members of the state assembly, swiftly responded, overseeing rescue operations and ensuring the dignified burial of the deceased.
A mass burial was conducted for 110 victims, attended by the governor. At the same time, the injured were transferred to hospitals within and outside the state for intensive care, fully sponsored by the state government.
Immediate relief materials and interventions were also distributed to affected families to cushion the impact of the unprecedented disaster.
Numerous sympathisers donated funds and pledged support for the victims. The state-appointed committee managed these contributions and also oversaw the investigation into the accident.
According to the reports from the state executive council meeting as of Wednesday, 26th March 2025, the total redeemed cash donations stood at Eight Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million, Six Hundred and Eighty-Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty (839,686,680) Naira out of about N1.6 billion pledges
The state executive council, however, directed the Majiya committee to continue in their efforts to redeem the pledges made while proceeding with the distribution of the cash donations
In due course, the state government promised to publish a comprehensive list of all the redeemed pledges in the spirit of transparency and accountability.
During the flag-off ceremony for the cash distribution, Governor Namadi announced that each directly affected individual would receive approximately ₦4 million. Of this amount, ₦500,000 was paid in cash, while the remaining ₦3.5 million was deposited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts with Jaiz Bank. For deceased victims, payments were made to their guardians or next of kin.
The governor noted that the demographic profiles of those affected showed that the terrible event had an impact on 167 households, killing 140 people and hurting 70 more.
The report also established that thirty-three of the deceased were married, of whom thirty-one had children. The deceased individuals left behind a total of forty-two widows and one hundred thirty-three orphans, of whom seventy were males and sixty-three were females.
Governor Namadi expressed profound gratitude to all who sympathized with the victims and contributed to the relief efforts.
He urged beneficiaries to utilize the funds wisely, emphasizing the importance of productive investments to secure their futures.
Most of the survivors and families of the deceased were visibly seen shading tears for the cash donation presented to them after months of sorrow.
The beneficiaries thanked the government and all others for supporting them during the trial period and promised to use the cash support for sustainable livelihood.
The Majiya tragedy has brought many lessons to the government and the general public. The government-established Committee to investigate and report on the remote and immediate causes of the inferno, the damage caused, and the extent of casualties has made several far-reaching recommendations on mitigating the chances of future occurrences of such calamitous incidents.
The recommendations include having a permanent contingency plan for emergency preparedness and response aimed at cushioning the gravity of disasters when they inevitably occur and Engaging with stakeholders, particularly the transport unions, on the necessity of enforcing these vehicle safety measures.
Enforcing strict compliance with traffic rules and proper vehicle safety measures, such as installing spill containment and pressure relief valves in petrol tankers, is absolutely necessary.
The general public should be enlightened and conscious of the dangers associated with vehicles laden with inflammable contents involved in accidents. People must learn to avoid the scene of incidents no matter the temptation.
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