Inferno on Ogun Expressway: Tanker Explosion Leaves Trail of Death, Chaos

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE — Tragedy struck in the dead of night on Friday when a 30,000-litre fuel-laden tanker lost control and exploded in a fiery inferno along the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway, Ogun State, leaving an unconfirmed number of people feared dead.

The incident, which occurred around 1:00 a.m. on the Abeokuta–Kobape–Siun–Sagamu Interchange stretch of the busy highway, threw the area into pandemonium as flames engulfed nearby vehicles, destroyed property, and cut off electricity supply to surrounding communities.

Spokesperson of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the disaster, attributing the crash to excessive speed and loss of control by the tanker driver.

> “The inferno was caused by a 30,000-litre tanker which fell on its side and spilled its contents. The fire consumed a truck, a tow vehicle, and destroyed a PHCN power line supplying electricity to Mowe and environs,” Akinbiyi said.



Rescue efforts, led by TRACE, the Ogun State Fire Service, Nestlé Fire Service, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Police, Amotekun, and NSCDC, are ongoing. Emergency teams battled through the night to quench the fire, reroute traffic, and decant what remained of the highly flammable fuel.

Authorities are yet to release official casualty figures, but eyewitnesses report that several lives may have been lost in the blaze.

Motorists have been urged to exercise patience as diversions and re-routing remain in effect. “We regret the inconvenience but plead for calm and cooperation as emergency responders work to restore order,” TRACE said.

This latest tanker tragedy rekindles haunting memories of October 2024, when a similar explosion in Majiya Village, Jigawa State, claimed at least 160 lives after villagers rushed to scoop fuel from an overturned tanker before it exploded in a deadly fireball.

The Ogun disaster adds to Nigeria’s growing list of fatal tanker incidents, raising renewed concerns about road safety, enforcement of speed limits, and the transportation of petroleum products through densely populated highways.