An unspecified number of people have died in a tanker fire that erupted at midnight along the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway.
Confirming the incident on Friday, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the blaze started around 1:00 a.m. when a 33,000-litre fuel tanker, speeding excessively, lost control and overturned, spilling petrol across the highway.
He explained that the crash triggered a massive fire that spread to nearby vehicles and electricity poles.
Akinbiyi said, “The case of an inferno caused by a 30,000-litre fuel-laden tanker which fell on its side and spilled its contents around 0100hrs today, along the Abeokuta–Kobape–Siun–Sagamu Interchange stretch of the PMB Expressway, due to excessive speed and loss of control, has been reported.
“The effect of the unfortunate incident also extended to the burning of a truck and a tow vehicle along the roadside, as well as the destruction of a PHCN cable supplying electricity to Mowe and environs.
“Though the casualty figures cannot be ascertained presently, rescue and emergency services made up of TRACE, Ogun State and Nestlé PLC Fire Service, FRSC, and the Police are still on the ground to restore normalcy and orderliness after quenching the fire and carrying out the decantation process.”
He further disclosed that traffic has been diverted to a single lane while rescue operations continue.
The TRACE spokesperson appealed to motorists to cooperate with responders, saying, “The general public, particularly the motoring public on transit along the route, is implored to be calm, patient, and cooperate with the diversion and re-routing of traffic put in place by TRACE, Police, Ogun State Fire Service, FRSC, Amotekun, and the NSCDC.
“However, any inconveniences as a result of this unfortunate incident are highly regretted.”
Tanker fire accidents remain a recurring tragedy in Nigeria. In October 2024, one person was killed in a tanker explosion along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, while another incident in July 2025 in Ibadan followed a brake failure, leaving multiple vehicles destroyed.
Analysts say repeated cases like this expose ongoing failures in road safety enforcement, regulation of fuel transport, delayed emergency response, and risky behaviour around fuel spills.
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