Some youths in Jalingo, the capital city of Taraba State have resorted to scooping fuel from a faulty tanker despite the possible calamity such action poses.
The action by the youths comes barely days after a tanker explosion killed almost 100 people in Niger state.
Eyewitnesses on Wednesday said the youths were busy scooping fuel when some security agencies arrived at the location of the faulty petrol tanker.
Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeeia Police Force managed to chase the youths who gathered at the location at Mile 6, Jalingo where the tanker was said to have crashed and spilt some of its content.
Petty traders and shop owners in the area were seen locking their shops and closing for the day for fear of possible explosion.
Reacting to the incident and the action by the youths, the Taraba State command’s spokesperson for the NSCDC, Illia Samuel said that the driver of the tanker sustained some injuries following the crash of his vehicle.
Stating that the driver has been taken to a medical facility for immediate attention, Samuel also urged residents to stay away from the scene of the crash.
He said, “Immediately we got information about the accident, the command drafted our men to the scene to avert any occurrences that could lead to casualties.
“We are going to ensure that the area is safe, both for residents and travellers,” Samuel said.
The incident was also confirmed by the spokesperson for the police in the state, Superintendent of Police Abdullahi Usman.
