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Ogun Tanker Explosion: How Grandma, Granddaughter Die, Hoodlums Attack Firemen
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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
Ahead of the 2027 election, the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify candidates whose names are not contained in political party registers, as stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Chairman of the committee, Bayo Balogun, drew the commission’s attention to a Supreme Court ruling on Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) and called for their full enforcement across all political parties.
Balogun, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said that pending legal proceedings concerning the interpretation, constitutionality and enforceability of the sections had been resolved by virtue of the Supreme Court judgment.
The lawmaker recalled that the Supreme Court, on September 24, 2026, restored the provisions after setting aside the Court of Appeal judgment that had declared them unconstitutional.
According to him, the apex court held that the provisions were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
Balogun explained that Section 77(5) provides that only members whose names are contained in the membership register submitted to INEC are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions.
He said that Section 77(6) requires political parties to use the register submitted to the electoral umpire for such exercises.
Balogun urged INEC to proceed without further delay to enforce Sections 77(4) to 77(6) in the administration and monitoring of political parties and their electoral activities.
He further urged the commission to audit the membership registers and candidates submitted by political parties to establish whether the names of the candidates are contained in the registers earlier submitted to INEC in compliance with Section 77(5).
“This will be a litmus test for the commission – any culpable political party and candidates should be disqualified.
“Diligent enforcement of the provision would help prevent disputes and reduce the volume of litigation that could arise from alleged irregularities or non-compliance with Sections 77(4) to 77(6) of the Electoral Act,” Balogun said.
An helicopter crashed into a swamp near Naval Base in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday.
The incident occurred at about 11.00a.m during heavy down pour, throwing the coastal community into panic.
The number of people on board of the helicopter was yet to be officially confirmed, while the condition of possible survivors cannot be confirmed.
Confirming the incident, Maurice Oripenaiye, the Chairman of the local government, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that he could not ascertain the number of the victims.
Oripenaye also said he was yet to ascertain the identity of the crashed helicopter and the passengers.
“It happened during the heavy rainfall at about 11.00a.m. I cannot confirm the number of the people on board. I have deployed some youths to the area for rescue purpose,” he told NAN.
Similarly, the Police Command in Ondo State while confirming the crash, said details surrounding the incident were still emerging.
The command in a statement by its spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, a deputy superintendent of police, in Akure, said efforts were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
“The command urges members of the public, particularly residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities, to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information.
“The public will be duly informed as soon as further credible information becomes available,” it stated.
(NAN)
By Eric Elezuo
All Lagos State-owned universities through their Joint Action Committee (JAC) of staff unions have embarked on an immediate and indefinite strike in fulfilment of their threat to do same last Friday.
The institutions are downing tools over the non-Implementation of the renogotiated ASSU/FGN agreement of 2026 as involves the Lago State government.
The affected universities include Lagos State University, Ojo, the Lagos State University of Education, the Lagos State University of Science and Technology and the Lagos State University College of Medicine.
Our correspondent reports that major entrances of the institutions have been put unde lock and key with restrictions to entry into the campuses.
At LASU, members of the JAC were seen in their numbers locking up gates, and enforcing the strike action.
Recall that the unions issued a threat on Friday during a press conference held at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo Campus.
The conference was addressed by the Chairman of JAC and Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU-LASU), Prof. Ibrahim Bakare.
JAC comprises the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU).
In his address during the briefing, Bakare said the unions’ final seven-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government expired at midnight of Friday.
He said the unions had exhausted all avenues of dialogue over the implementation of the 2026 Federal Government and staff unions’ agreements.
“We have exhausted every possible means to avert declaration of industrial action across state-owned universities in Lagos State,” Bakare said.
He said the crisis resulted from bureaucratic delays, shifting goalposts and a lack of executive action on the agreements.
According to him, JAC had engaged relevant government ministries since July 30 to resolve the issues through dialogue.
He said a technical committee comprising government and JAC representatives reached consensus on the implementation of various allowances on Aug. 18.
Bakare said the agreed terms included 40 per cent Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance for ASUU and 35 per cent allowances for SSANU and NASU.
He said the parties subsequently signed a communiqué on Aug. 31, committing to implementation from September 2026 and payment of eight months’ arrears.
“September salaries were paid without the implementation of the agreed rates and the outstanding arrears,” he said.
Bakare said the non-implementation had increased the outstanding arrears to nine months, covering January to September 2026.
He said JAC was demanding immediate executive approval and implementation of the signed 2026 agreements without further alteration or delay.
Bakare said the unions also demanded payment of nine months’ arrears, non-taxation of applicable allowances and implementation of the 15 per cent Lagos factor.
He added that the unions demanded fulfilment of outstanding commitments, including a 20 per cent salary increment and release of five Marcopolo buses promised to state-owned universities.
Bakare said the unions had demonstrated restraint and repeatedly chosen dialogue in spite of the challenges, instead of disrupting academic activities.
“However, our patience has been pushed to the absolute limit,” he said.
He had warned that failure of the state government to act before midnight of Friday would trigger “an immediate, total and indefinite strike” across Lagos State-owned universities.
Bakare had also appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and students to urge the government to resolve the matter before the deadline.
Much as the unions maintained open channel for further negotiations and interventions, the Lagos State government nor any other body was not forthcoming before the final shutdown of the universities on Monday.
The Lagos State government is yet to issue a statement in response as at press time.
