Mysterious white foam draws crowds on Nigerian highway

What the report says

Nile Post, carrying a BBC report, says Nigeria’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency has opened an urgent inquiry after an unidentified white foamy substance appeared along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway. The busy route links Kaduna, a major northern city, with the federal capital, Abuja. The agency has warned residents, motorists and other passers-by not to touch or approach the material while tests are being conducted.

The report says the foam has drawn large crowds since appearing several days ago, with many drivers stopping to take pictures and share them online. Some onlookers speculated that it could be linked to a chemical spill, while others treated the scene as a curiosity. One regular road user, Isah Aminu, told the BBC that people had initially described it as something like clouds falling from the sky, and said he avoided touching it despite seeing others move close.

Nesrea said a team from its Kaduna State Field Office, led by State Co-ordinator Hena Dangari Emmanuel, visited the site. Samples of the foam, nearby soil and water from a stream have been collected for laboratory analysis to establish what the substance is and whether it poses environmental or health risks. The agency has also advised the public to avoid the surrounding soil and water until the investigation is complete.

According to the report, early indications suggest a spill followed an accident involving a lorry, but officials have not yet identified what the vehicle was carrying. The case matters because an unknown roadside substance on a major transport corridor could expose travellers and nearby communities to hazardous material if handled before authorities confirm its composition.