The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has condemned fuel scooping from fallen tankers after a recent incident in Apapa, Lagos State.
The Director-General of the agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the practice as reckless and unacceptable, warning that it poses serious and avoidable risks to human life, public safety, and national infrastructure.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by NOA’s Director of Communications, Issa-Onilu said the dangers extend beyond those involved in scooping fuel, exposing motorists, nearby residents, emergency responders and critical public assets to grave harm.
He noted that the agency has carried out nationwide sensitisation campaigns over the years to educate Nigerians on the dangers of fuel scooping and other high-risk behaviours, but lamented that the practice persists despite repeated warnings.
According to him, poverty cannot justify actions that endanger lives, adding that fuel scooping reflects a conscious disregard for personal safety and the wellbeing of others.
Issa-Onilu recalled several tragic incidents in the past where tanker accidents and fuel scooping triggered explosions that claimed hundreds of lives, stressing that such disasters are recurrent and preventable.
The NOA boss urged Nigerians to collectively reject behaviours that result in avoidable loss of life, mass casualties, and national trauma, emphasising that public safety is a shared responsibility.
He also called on the National Assembly to enact legislation criminalising fuel scooping from fallen tankers, with clear and deterrent penalties for offenders, noting that sustained public education must be backed by strong legal and enforcement measures.
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