Niger State Governor, Dr. Umar Bago has prohibited heavy-duty trucks from using the one-way route through Dikko Bridge following a tanker explosion on Saturday.
During his visit to the explosion site at Dikko Junction, Bago expressed sadness over the loss of lives, describing the incident as pathetic.
He expressed relief that the explosion did not spread to nearby communities.
The governor criticised the recklessness of some drivers and ordered that vehicles coming from the Maje axis must no longer ply the bridge but use the route beneath it and take a U-turn.
He called on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) sector commander to establish a detachment in the area to enforce the new directive.
Additionally, he urged transport unions to cooperate with the FRSC to ensure compliance.
The governor attributed the frequent accidents in the area to delays in the completion of the Minna-Suleja road project and appealed to the federal government to fast-track its completion.
He commended the swift response of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Fire Service, FRSC, and the National Union of Road Transport Workers in evacuating victims of the explosion.
He said doctors from Minna hospitals will be redeployed to assist in treating the injured victims currently receiving treatment at Suleja General Hospital.
The explosion occurred on Saturday when a tanker conveying petrol crashed and another tanker was brought to transfer the contents.
The Director-General of NEMA, Abdullahi Baba-Arah has confirmed the death of 86 persons.
