On Sunday morning, a tanker carrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or petrol) exploded near Oju Irin in the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta, Ogun state.
Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, Spokesperson, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), confirmed the incident to reporters, saying the tanker was engulfed in flames as a result of the uncooperative attitude of people around the axis scooping fuel and other unwholesome acts that sparked the fire.
According to a TRACE spokesman, the tanker overturned around 4:45 a.m. while making its way inbound Rounder from Oju-Irin, Lafenwa, due to an axle problem, spilling its contents on the road.
He advised the general public to leave the area, stating that TRACE, police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Fire Service were all on the scene to control the situation.
“Moreover, motorists traveling inward Rounder axis from Lafenwa should use Olomore and Oke-Ata axes as alternate routes, as traffic has been diverted away from the incident,” he said.
Akinbiyi stated that additional information would be made available to the media as soon as possible.
Mr Ahmed Umar, the state’s FRSC Sector Commander, also confirmed the incident, saying that officers from the command are on the scene to control traffic.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the fire damaged some shops along the axis.