Tanker crash spills petrol, disrupts traffic on Kaduna–Zaria highway

A petrol tanker accident on Friday caused a major traffic gridlock along the Kaduna–Zaria highway after spilling its contents at Jaji in Kaduna State.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday, attributing the crash to the impatience of the tanker driver.

According to NEMA, the accident occurred in the early hours of October 31, 2025. Upon receiving the alert, the Head of NEMA’s Kaduna Operations Office, Mallam Suleiman Muhammad, immediately activated the agency’s emergency response team.

“NEMA’s Search and Rescue Unit arrived promptly at the scene, where officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had already begun response operations,” the agency said.

It added that the FRSC, led by Kaduna Sector Commander Tijjani Iliyasu, supervised the safe transfer of the petrol into another tanker provided for the operation, successfully preventing a possible explosion.

The crash caused significant traffic disruption along both lanes of the busy highway, forcing authorities to divert motorists through Amana, Mai Madaci, and Turunku communities.

NEMA said its personnel, alongside the FRSC, security agencies, and other stakeholders, worked together to ensure public safety and restore normal traffic flow.

The agency urged road users to remain calm, exercise patience, and comply with traffic instructions as movement gradually returned to normal.

The accident comes barely two weeks after a petrol tanker explosion in Essa community, Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed 45 lives and left several others injured.