NOA DG Condemns Fuel Scooping, Urges Law Against the Practice

The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has strongly condemned the act of scooping fuel from a fallen tanker, following an incident on Monday, January 20, at Liverpool Bridge in Apapa, Lagos. He described the practice as dangerous, reckless, and unacceptable, highlighting the severe risks it poses to human life, public safety, and national infrastructure.

In a statement released by Bala Musa, the Director of Communication and Media, Issa-Onilu noted that despite years of nationwide public enlightenment campaigns, some individuals continue to engage in fuel scooping, a behaviour he called a conscious and criminal disregard for human life. Recalling past tragedies in Nigeria where similar incidents led to explosions and hundreds of deaths, he stressed that these incidents are preventable and must no longer be tolerated.

The NOA DG urged the National Assembly to enact legislation criminalising fuel scooping and instituting firm penalties for offenders, stressing that public education alone is not enough to end the practice. He reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to intensifying safety advocacy and called on Nigerians to collectively reject actions that put lives at risk.

“Human life is sacred and priceless. No situation or momentary gain should justify conduct that places lives in imminent danger,” he concluded.

Written by Adeyemi Adewale