A litany of miseries as disasters pile up in Niger with fury of fire, flood
The year 2025 has become a catalogue of calamity for Niger State, Nigeria. From devastating tanker-explosions to catastrophic flooding, the incidents have exposed vulnerabilities in infrastructure, emergency response and public behaviour. Survivors’ testimonies, official responses and government actions tell a story of tragedy, yet also one of hope for reforms.
In January, the worst of scenes unfolded at Dikko Junction near Suleja, when a fuel tanker overturned. The tanker, laden with petrol, spilled its contents and locals rushed in to collect the fuel. A tragic ignition followed. The toll was at least 86 lives lost and dozens more injured.
One survivor, a young man who simply gave his name as Musa, recalled: “I thought I was coming to pick fuel to help my family — then the flames exploded. I lost two friends.”
In the aftermath, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed the mass burial of 80 victims at Dikko, with five taken away by relatives and one dying later in hospital.
Umaru Bago, the state governor, described the incident as “worrisome, heartbreaking and unfortunate” and pledged support for victims.
The incident triggered warnings from the Federal Fire Service about the dangers of tanker drivers’ reckless behaviour and the practice of fuel-scooping from crash sites.
Not long after, in early March, another tanker explosion occurred in Karamin Rami village in Mashegu Local Government Area. The truck overturned, its contents flowed into a stream where farmers were working and then caught fire; seven lives were lost and one injured.
Farmers who were near the leak described how flames ran through the farmland and burned vegetation and equipment.
Flooding added a very different strain to the state. In May, heavy rains wrought havoc in Mokwa Local Government Area. NSEMA reported that at least 151 corpses were recovered, 3,018 persons displaced, 503 households and 265 homes affected, multiple roads and two bridges washed away.
In June, further figures updated the toll: as many as 206 lives, 458 homes destroyed, 180 hectares of farmland submerged, and some 9,560 residents in urgent need of relief.
One elderly flood-victim, whose home collapsed in Tiffin Maza area, said: “The water came in the night, we woke to our roof gone and our children swept away. I have nothing now.”
Governor Bago personally visited the temporary IDPs camp at Tiffin Madza Primary School, announced a relief package of ₦1 billion and 50 trucks of assorted grains for flood victims, and awarded a ₦7 billion road-and-bridge project along the Mokwa–Raba corridor. He also urged residents not to build on waterways and committed to resettlement of affected families.
Reflecting on the response, NSEMA had mobilised teams, set up rapid assessment and launched flood-awareness campaigns across emirates of the state.
Meanwhile, the latest one was in October where a fuel tanker disaster struck. Around October, 21 along the Bida-Agaie Road between Essa and Badeggi communities in Katcha LGA, a fuel-laden tanker overturned and residents rushed to collect the spill. A massive explosion followed, killing at least 40 people and injuring around 50.
Emergency services described the scene as horrific: victims found burnt beyond recognition, melted asphalt, collapsed electric poles and contamination of soil and water.
Addullahi Baba Arah, the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Authority confirmed the latest casualty figure, stating the death toll had risen to 42 while 52 people sustained various degrees of injuries.
“As at the last count, the total number of dead stands at 42, and the number of injured persons is 52,” Arah said in an interview on ARISE News.
He explained that the explosion occurred after villagers attempted to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker.
“The tanker fell due to the bad state of the road, after which villagers trooped to the scene to scoop fuel, triggering a devastating fire outbreak,” he said.
Read also: Niger State flood death toll rises to 117, emergency official says
Earlier, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), shared on X on Wednesday. that 39 people had died and over 60 sustained severe burns during the incident.
“The explosion claimed 39 lives and left over 60 persons with severe burns, including men, women, and children.
“The victims were reportedly among those attempting to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker when the explosion occurred,” NEMA said.
It added that rescue efforts involved multiple agencies working together to evacuate victims for treatment.
“NEMA’s team, working alongside NSEMA, the Police, NSCDC, FRSC, DSS, local vigilantes, and community volunteers, successfully evacuated the injured victims to nearby health facilities, including the Essan Primary Health Centre, Idris Private Hospital, and the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, for emergency treatment,” the agency stated.
While commiserating with the victims and families affected, Zubaida Umar Abubakar, the NEMA Director General, warned members of the public to desist from scooping fuel from accident tankers, stressing that such acts have repeatedly led to avoidable loss of lives.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed sadness over the latest tragedy, lamenting that despite sustained sensitisation, citizens still risk their lives to scoop fuel.
“The incident is saddening because, despite sustained public sensitisation and repeated warnings about the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers, some citizens still take such life-threatening risks,” the minister said.
Across these disasters, a clear pattern emerges: heavily trafficked highways carrying fuel and other flammables; weak road infrastructure; risky behaviour by communities drawn to spilled product; and a reactive rather than preventive emergency-system. NSEMA has repeatedly warned of late reporting and weak local fire-fighting capacity.
In response, the Governor has ordered the state’s Ministry of Transport and Works to fast-track rehabilitation of the disaster-prone Bida–Agaie–Lapai road, and called for a public-education campaign to discourage fuel-scooping. He also pledged support to victims’ families and victims with medical treatment, though NGOs say many injured remain under-treated.
NSEMA, under Abdullahi Baba-Arah, it’s director-general has always appeal to the federal government, local governments and communities to collaborate on early-warning systems, road-safety protocols and emergency-service capacity.
Read also: Over 38 killed, dozens injured in Niger State tanker explosion
The agency’s recent flood-awareness drive included the entire eight emirate councils of Niger State, signalling an attempt to shift from reactive to preventive posture.
Yet, the scale of destruction is still overwhelming. For the flood in Mokwa, entire communities were uprooted; for the tanker blasts, dozens, sometimes hundreds, of lives erased in minutes.
It is of note that the drivers of disasters in Niger State are structural: poor road networks repeatedly cause heavy-vehicle accidents, while high fuel prices have driven people to take extreme risks at crash sites. On the flood front, climate change, deforestation, and inadequate drainage systems exacerbate the impact.
The human toll is mirrored by economic loss: destroyed homes, farmland, shops, livestock, abandoned roads, and a growing burden on public and private resources. The cost of reconstruction, relief, and trauma-care will test both state and federal capacities.
In statement after statement, Governor Bago and NSEMA officials reiterated the need for collective responsibility: “Residents must obey safety warnings; government must provide safer roads and stronger response; communities must respect building codes.” As the governor said during his Mokwa site-visit, “Allah has destined everything, and He will comfort the people during this difficult time.”
As the calendar advances into the second half of 2025, the question for Niger State is clear: will the lessons of January, March, May and October become catalysts for reform – or will the next headline be yet another preventable tragedy? The government’s response so far shows intent, but intent must give way to tangible outcomes – safer roads, functional fire services, disciplined fuel-transport, and flood-resilient communities.
