411 Killed in 2024 While Scooping Fuel from Fallen Tankers – FRSC

The Federal Government, through the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has revealed that 411 people lost their lives in 2024 while attempting to scoop fuel from fallen tankers across the country. The FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this during a media briefing on the 2024 special patrol operations held on Monday in Abuja.
Malam Mohammed noted a significant improvement in road safety compliance. In 2024, 21,580 traffic offenders were arrested, compared to 29,220 in 2023. This represents a 26 percent increase in adherence to traffic rules. Additionally, the total number of offenses dropped to 25,942 in 2024, a 23.5 percent reduction compared to the previous year.
The Corps’ annual performance analysis showed a noticeable decline in road traffic crashes (RTCs). Between January 1 and December 31, 2024, 9,570 RTCs were recorded nationwide, a 10 percent drop from the 10,617 crashes documented in 2023. Injuries resulting from these accidents also decreased by two percent, with 31,154 people injured in 2024 compared to 31,874 in the previous year.
Despite these improvements, fatalities increased by seven percent, with 5,421 deaths recorded in 2024, up from 5,081 in 2023. Mohammed attributed 7.6 percent of these fatalities—411 deaths—to incidents involving people scooping fuel from fallen tankers, describing the practice as a dangerous trend the Corps is working to eradicate.
Without these avoidable deaths, the total number of fatalities for 2024 would have been 5,010, he added. Mohammed emphasized the need for greater public awareness to prevent such incidents and highlighted the FRSC’s continued efforts to enhance road safety and reduce casualties nationwide.