Abuja: Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has strongly condemned the dangerous practice of scooping fuel from a fallen tanker in Apapa, Lagos.
He urged that such acts be criminalised to safeguard lives and property, stressing that reckless fuel scavenging poses grave risks to public safety and national security.
Issa-Onilu, in a statement by NOA’s Communications Director, Mr Bala Musa, on Monday in Abuja, called for the National Assembly to criminalise the act.
He said the practice is wholly unacceptable in modern society and poses extreme, preventable threats to human life, public safety, and national infrastructure.
“The risks extend beyond those directly involved. Motorists, nearby communities, emergency responders, and critical assets are all endangered, far outweighing any perceived benefit.
“Over the years, we have deployed nationwide sensitisation campaigns to educate Nigerians on the dangers of fuel scooping and other high-risk behaviours.
“Regrettably, despite warnings and value-reorientation efforts, some individuals persist in this life-threatening conduct. Poverty does not justify reckless behaviour or disregard for self-preservation,” he said.
He described the act as a conscious, reckless, and criminal disregard for human life and public safety.
Issa-Onilu recalled past tragedies where fuel tanker accidents and scooping caused explosions, resulting in hundreds of deaths, warning that the menace is recurrent and preventable.
“I urge the National Assembly to enact legislation criminalising fuel scooping from fallen tankers, with clear, deterrent penalties for offenders.
“Sustained public education must now be reinforced by strong legal and enforcement frameworks to end this deadly behaviour decisively,” he said.
He emphasised that Nigerians must collectively reject actions leading to mass casualties, national trauma, and preventable loss of life.
“Human life is sacred and priceless. No situation, excuse, or momentary gain justifies conduct that places lives in imminent danger,” Issa-Onilu said.
