Driver, Apprentice Burnt to Death as Petrol Tanker Explodes in Ibadan

A petrol tanker fire at a filling station in the Orita Challenge area of Ibadan, Oyo State, killed two people in the early hours of Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

The Oyo State Fire Services Agency confirmed that the victims, identified as the tanker driver and his motor boy, were burnt to death in the fire. The agency’s General Manager, Yemi Akinyinka, said firefighters received a distress call at 5:15 am and rushed to the scene.

We got information about the fire at Gabstab Mega Petrol Station, Orita Challenge, and our men responded swiftly, Akinyinka said.

Investigations showed that the tanker lost control due to brake failure. It then spilled petrol, which caught fire.

The driver and his motor boy were trapped in the flames and couldn’t escape. They were burnt beyond recognition, an eye witness told PUNCH.

Firefighters from the state service and private agencies reportedly worked to extinguish the flames while security personnel moved in to prevent the fire from reaching nearby homes and businesses. Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform to Governor Seyi Makinde and Chairman of the State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, said the situation had been controlled.

The victims’ remains were handed over to officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who are expected to give further updates.

A similar incident in January near Fijabi House, Agbowo, along the Ojoo/Iwo Road Expressway, killed a driver and injured one person. Upon losing control, the tanker haf crashed into two other trucks and somersaulted into a nearby pit before catching fire.

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