IN the heart of northern Nigeria, where the scorching sun beats down on dusty roads and parched fields, a tragedy unfolded that would scar the collective memory of Jigawa state forever. It was a Tuesday evening in Majia town, just as the golden light of dusk began to fade when fate dealt a cruel hand to its unsuspecting residents.
A massive fuel tanker, its metal skin gleaming in the fading light, careened down the pothole-ridden road. The driver, battling against the treacherous terrain, lost control. With a deafening screech of metal on asphalt, the tanker toppled, spilling its liquid treasure across the ground.
Word spread like wildfire through Majia and the surrounding areas. In a land where poverty grips tight and opportunity is scarce, the news of spilled fuel was a siren call. Men, women, and even children flocked to the crash site, carrying whatever containers they could find. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gasoline and the murmur of desperate hope.
As darkness fell, the scene was illuminated by the glow of makeshift lamps and flashlights. Hundreds of people swarmed around the overturned tanker, their faces etched with determination. They were unaware that Death himself lurked among them, waiting for a single spark.
It came without warning. A flash, a roar, and suddenly the night was set ablaze. The fuel ignited, engulfing the crowd in a monstrous fireball that lit up the sky for miles around. Screams of agony and terror pierced the air as people ran, their bodies wreathed in flames.
When dawn broke, the true scale of the horror was revealed. Charred bodies lay scattered across the blackened earth, some still clutching their containers. The air was heavy with the stench of burnt flesh and the choking sobs of survivors and bereaved families.
The final toll was devastating: 94 souls lost, their dreams and futures reduced to ashes. Another 50 writhed in agony in the overcrowded hospitals of Ringim and Hadejia, their burns a constant reminder of that fateful night.
As the community reeled from the shock, a mass grave was prepared. The dead, many unrecognizable, were laid to rest together – a final, grim testament to their shared fate.
This tragedy, coming barely a month after another fuel tanker explosion claimed 48 lives in north-central Nigeria, served as a stark reminder of the deadly combination of poverty, desperation, and neglected infrastructure that plagues the nation. The poorly maintained roads, with more potholes than pavement, continue to claim lives with chilling regularity.
Yet for the people of Majia and countless other towns across Nigeria, the lure of “free” fuel remains. For in a land where each day is a struggle for survival, even the risk of death seems a price worth paying for a chance at a better life.
As the last of the victims were buried and the embers of the inferno finally cooled, Majia was left to grapple with its loss and the haunting question: In a world where desperation drives people to dance with death, how many more will perish before change comes?
A sad ?? day in Nigeria ???? more than about 90 people have lost their lives.
— Ngala Maimo Wajiri ???? (@MaimoWajiri) October 16, 2024
A Tanker carrying petrol had a leakage and caught flames in Jigawa North western province of Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/TGOwLz251y