Metro
Ogun Tanker Explosion: How Grandma, Granddaughter Die, Hoodlums Attack Firemen
Tragedy struck on Sunday at Lafenwa Market when a fuel-laden tanker exploded, killing a woman and her grandchild.
The explosion occurred at a failed portion of the railway on the Lafenwa-Ojurin-Ayetoro Road in the Abeokuta-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The tanker, loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), overturned when its axle broke, as it started spilling its content on the road.
Our correspondent gathered that the accident occurred around 4.45am on Sunday while the tanker driver was inbound Rounder from Oju-Irin, Lafenwa.
Pandemonium, however, broke out a few hours after the incident when some traders and hoodlums in the market began scooping fuel from the fallen tanker.
Attempts by the police to stop the action reportedly angered the hoodlums, who allegedly ignited a fire that triggered the explosion.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the police shot two people while controlling the situation.
Aside from the two people killed in the explosion, scores of shops in the market were also burnt.
A few other shops were reportedly looted by the hoodlums.
Five men of the state fire service were allegedly beaten to a pulp for not arriving early to save lives and property.
The Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde Akinbiyi, while confirming the incident, lamented that some residents went to the scene, scooped fuel and engaged in “other unwholesome act which regrettably sparked off the fire that engulfed the whole area.”
“Two lives were lost in the unfortunate inferno, a grandmother and grandchild, while property worth millions of naira was also destroyed,” Akinbiyi added.
He explained that the corpses were deposited in the morgue of the General Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta.
Akinbiyi said the mob vandalised two patrol vans belonging to the TRACE Divisional Command, Abeokuta, and two heavy-duty vehicles belonging to the federal and state fire services.
The TRACE spokesman noted that some personnel were also assaulted during the rescue operation.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, he saw the remains of the two victims.
The Operational Commander of the Fire Service, Ogun State, who simply identified himself as Ilesanmi, said the agency received a call around 8am that a tanker fell.
Ilesanmi said he immediately deployed his men in the scene.
“Unfortunately, the hoodlums didn’t allow us to perform our duty. They attacked our vehicle; the vehicle was damaged and all my men brutalised.
“As I’m talking to you, they are nowhere to be found because they have to look for an alternative road to escape for their lives.
“I was at the scene; it is not that someone told me. I came in my private vehicle. It was because I didn’t wear the uniform. If not, they would have attacked me also,” he added.
Asked if the attack was due to the late arrival of his men, Ilesanmi said, “The fire service did not get there late. The reason is this: anytime there are issues like this, they will like to vandalise shops. That’s their target. Their target is not to complement our effort.
“Five of my officers, including the driver, and all vehicle windscreens, were vandalised.”
The Director, Ogun State Emergency Management Agency, Ige Olufolarin, also confirmed the attack, lamenting that the officials were hindered by hoodlums.
He said, “Their target was to actually loot the stores around the area and that was why we were there to guard against such.”
An eyewitness, Saburi Agbabiaka, said the incident happened while he was taking a passenger to Rounder.
He said, “But around 6am when I got here, I saw that the security personnel had taken over everywhere. In just a few minutes, I observed that the fire became uncontrollable and expanded and it even killed a mother and her child.
“What I observed was that those boys got angry because a lot of things were damaged.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said five suspects were arrested.
Oyeyemi said the police had cordoned off the area to avoid loss of lives, but the hoodlums sabotaged the effort.
While denying that the police shot two people during the incident, he accused the hoodlums of igniting fire from the market, which engulfed the area.
“Five suspects have been arrested and they will be charged to court,” he added.
The Punch
In the wake of a good number of road traffic crashes that resulted into fire outbreak in recent times, and the urgent need to bring the menace to an end, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Federal Fire Service (FFS) have entered into a historic partnership aimed at eliminating fire-related crashes on Nigerian roads.
A statement by the FRSC’s Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), the groundbreaking collaboration will witness the joint training of personnel from both agencies, joint enforcement patrol, as well as improved data sharing to enhance response times and effectiveness.
The partnership, which was formalized by the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed and the Controller-General, FFS, Engr. Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu at the national headquarters of the Corps, marks a significant milestone in the quest to reduce the incidence of fire-related crashes on Nigerian roads.
Speaking during the visit, the Controller-General noted that the Federal Fire Service is committed to protecting lives and properties, and this partnership will enable the two services to respond more effectively to fire-related emergencies on the roads. He showed optimism as he looks forward to working closely with the FRSC to achieve shared goals.
Responding to the Controller General, the Corps Marshal highlighted that the partnership is a testament to the Corps’ commitment to safety and determination to explore innovative solutions to the challenges facing the nation’s transportation sector. He noted that by combining expertise and resources, the agencies can significantly reduce the risk of escalation of fire-related crashes and make the roads safer for all users.
The joint training program will focus on equipping personnel from both agencies with the skills and knowledge needed to respond effectively to fire-related crashes. The program will cover topics such as fire prevention, fire fighting, and emergency response.
In addition to the joint training program, the partnership will also involve improved data sharing and effective patrol operations between the two agencies to enforce compliance on having fire extinguishers in vehicles. This will enable them to share critical information on fire-related crashes, including incident locations, response times, and outcomes.
By combining their strengths and resources, the FRSC and FFS are poised to make a significant impact on road safety in Nigeria. This partnership serves as a model for future collaborations between agencies and underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in achieving shared goals.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has taken more proactive action towards tackling the spate of tanker crashes in Nigeria, as he visits the national headquarters of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch-National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Employers (NUPENG-PTD) in Abuja on Wednesday.
The visit, according to a statement by the Corps’ Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), which was a prelude to the forthcoming critical stakeholders meeting organised at the expense of the Corps Marshal to discuss possible ways of bringing to an end, all challenges confronting the safety of lives and properties in the road transportation sector of the country.
While appreciating the support the Corps has received over the years from the Union, the Corps Marshal laid emphasis on the greater need for more collaboration and partnership, especially in the area of training and retraining of Petroleum Tanker Drivers and complying with minimum safety standards in haulage operations.
The National Chairman of the Union, Comrade Augustine Egbon who received the Corps Marshal, commended FRSc’s proactive approach towards enhancing safety in haulage operations in Nigeria. He accepted the need for more collaboration with the Corps in the area of training and retraining and further registered the readiness of the Union to support the Corps through mass media sensitisation campaigns.
The visit amongst other things forms part of Corps Marshal’s ongoing effort to ensure that all stakeholders play critical role in enhancing safety on the nation’s highways.
The meeting had Members of Management of the Corps as well as the Deputy National Chairman of the Union, Alhaji Shuaibu Leba, the National Trustee NUPENG-PTD, Otunba Salmon Akanni Oladiti as well as other Excos of the Union.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, on Wednesday, engaged one another in a physical fight during a meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, at the headquarters.
The altercation began when Sunday Ude-Okoye, a party chieftain, was ejected from the meeting.
Samuel Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye are contending over the position of National Secretary of the party.
Ude-Okoye had arrived the venue of the meeting before Anyanwu and acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum.
But, when Anyanwu arrived, Ude-Okoye was forced out of the meeting by suspected thugs, a situation that led to an altercation.
