The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has called on the National Assembly to urgently criminalise the act of scooping fuel from fallen tankers, describing it as reckless and deadly.
Issa-Onilu made the call following an incident on Monday at the Liverpool Bridge in the Apapa area of Lagos State, where residents were seen scooping fuel from a fallen tanker.
In a statement signed by the agency’s Director of Communications and Media, Bala Musa, the NOA boss condemned the act in strong terms, saying it was unacceptable in a modern society and posed grave threats to human life, public safety and national infrastructure.
He warned that the danger was not limited to those scooping the fuel but also extended to motorists, nearby communities, emergency responders and critical assets.
Issa-Onilu said the agency had, over the years, carried out sustained nationwide sensitisation and public enlightenment campaigns to discourage fuel scooping and similar high-risk behaviours.
He, however, lamented that despite repeated warnings and value reorientation efforts, some Nigerians had continued to engage in what he described as a life-threatening practice.
“This behaviour cannot be justified under any circumstances. This is not poverty. Poverty does not take away people’s sense or judgement, nor does it eliminate the instinct for self-preservation,” he said.
According to him, past tanker accidents across the country had led to explosions and infernos after residents attempted to scoop fuel, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives.
He described such incidents as painful reminders that the menace was recurrent, preventable and should no longer be tolerated.
The NOA boss urged lawmakers to enact comprehensive legislation that would clearly criminalise fuel scooping and prescribe firm and deterrent penalties.
He added that public enlightenment alone was no longer sufficient and must be backed by strong legal and enforcement frameworks.
Issa-Onilu reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying safety advocacy, stressing that human life was sacred and should never be endangered for momentary gain.
