By Adnan Adams Mohammed
Reckless ‘looters’ risking their lives to scoop spilled fuel from overturned tankers are facing a major crackdown as authorities move to end the deadly trend with harsh criminal penalties.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, delivered an unsparing warning to the public: the era of viewing roadside disaster scenes as economic opportunities is over. Security forces have been directed to arrest and prosecute anyone caught looting at crash sites, with offenders risking up to two decades behind bars.
“What many describe as a rush for fuel is, in reality, barefaced stealing,” Tameklo stated during an address in Kasoa. “Your life is more important than GH₵250 worth of fuel. Approaching an accident scene to collect fuel puts you at risk of death, and if you survive, you could spend up to 20 years in Nsawam Medium Security Prison facing theft and public endangerment charges.”
The crackdown comes as public safety officials express growing alarm over crowds flocking toward hazardous spill zones with buckets and jerrycans, ignoring the imminent risk of catastrophic fire.
“LPG and petroleum products create invisible, highly flammable gas clouds,” Tameklo warned. “Citizens must maintain a safe distance ideally several hundred meters and allow trained emergency personnel to secure the scene.”
Safety experts noted that static electricity or a single spark from a passing vehicle can turn a spill site into an inferno within seconds. Law enforcement and NPA field teams are now coordinating to establish tight perimeters around future highway accidents to protect bystanders and enforce the law immediately.
