“We Lost 70% of Our Youths” – Majiya Community Mourns After Tragic Jigawa Tanker Explosion

The community of Majiya, located in the Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State, is grieving the devastating aftermath of a tanker explosion that claimed numerous lives last Tuesday. The tragedy, which unfolded after a petroleum tanker overturned, has left an estimated 70% of the victims as young people, leaving nearly every family in mourning.

Malam Isa Mainingi, a father who lost three of his children in the explosion, expressed his sorrow after days of searching for their remains. “I have no words, except to pray for their souls to rest in peace,” Mainingi shared with a heavy heart, adding that his children are presumed to be among those buried in a mass grave.

One of the most harrowing accounts came from Amiru Ismail Majiya, a Senior Secondary School (SSS2) student, who witnessed the explosion. “I watched helplessly as three of my schoolmates were burned alive,” he recalled. Majiya explained that despite security personnel warning residents to stay away from the scene, many ignored the danger and attempted to scoop spilled fuel from a gutter.

“The current economic hardship pushed people to take the risk,” Majiya said, noting that several victims, including a local policeman, perished in the explosion. Among the dead were his classmates: Sani Umar, 17, Yusif Haruna, and Saidu Haladu.

Another grieving parent, Malama Rabi Salisu, lost her 22-year-old son, Ibrahim. She, like many others, had hoped her son was safe until the tragic discovery that he was among the 109 victims buried in a mass grave.

Eyewitnesses described how the disaster unfolded when the tanker spilled its contents into a nearby gutter, where locals gathered to collect the fuel. A sudden spark ignited the fuel, resulting in a massive explosion that ravaged the area. “The fire started from the gutter, not the tanker,” another witness, Ibrahim Shehu, said, lamenting how the police and civil defense forces were unable to prevent the crowd from gathering.

As the community continues to mourn, the State Emergency Management Agency reported that the death toll has now risen to 174. Hospitals across the region are struggling to treat the 75 survivors, many of whom are in critical condition with severe burns. Medical staff, led by Dr. Akinwumi Ademola at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Nguru, have been working tirelessly, with many patients suffering burns to over 70% of their bodies.

During a visit to the affected area, Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, described the explosion as the worst tragedy in the state’s history. He noted with deep sorrow that the majority of those killed were youths, highlighting the profound impact the loss has had on the community.

President Bola Tinubu, through a delegation led by Senator George Akume, has pledged that the federal government will take necessary steps to prevent such tragedies in the future.