By Atoyebi Nike
Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago has announced a donation of ₦1 million to each family of the deceased and ₦500,000 to each survivor injured in the recent tanker explosion at Essa, Katcha Local Government Area.
Bago made the announcement on Thursday during a condolence visit to the affected community, where he met with local leaders and assessed the scene of the tragedy.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, the governor expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives and urged residents to desist from the dangerous act of scooping petrol from fallen tankers.
“It is theft and must be addressed as such. We can’t encourage it,” he said.
The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Authority, Abdullahi Arah, confirmed that the explosion, which occurred on Tuesday along the Bida-Badegi-Agaie road, claimed 42 lives and injured 52 others. He attributed the disaster to poor road conditions and high temperatures.
Governor Bago also disclosed that businessman Aliko Dangote had pledged to repair the Mokwa-Lambata Road to prevent future tragedies.
