A tanker fire on the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway at midnight killed an unconfirmed number of people.
According to Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, the fire broke out at 1 a.m. on Friday.
According to Akinbiyi, a 33,000-liter petrol tanker collapsed due to excessive speed and spilled its contents over the roadway.
He revealed that the impact of the crash caused a fire, which spread to other vehicles and electric poles.
Akinbiyi said, “The case of an inferno caused by a 30,000-liter fuel-laden tanker, which fell on its side and spilled its contents around 0100 hrs 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 stated that because of the ongoing rescue efforts, traffic within the corridor has been reduced to a single lane.
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The spokesperson urged motorists in the area to cooperate with emergency responders.
“The general public, particularly the motoring public on transit along the route, is implored to be calm, patient, and cooperative with the diversion and re-routing of traffic put in place by TRACE, the police, the Ogun State Fire Service, the FRSC, Amotekun, and the NSCDC.
“However, any inconveniences as a result of this unfortunate incident are highly regretted,” Akinbiyi concluded.
Tanker fires like this have occurred frequently in Nigeria, often with tragic effects.
In October 2024, a tanker fire on the Ibafo portion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway killed one person and destroyed numerous vehicles and commodities.
Similarly, in July 2025, a petrol tanker exploded in Ibadan due to brake failure, causing damage to surrounding automobiles, though injuries were not confirmed.
In the majority of these cases, reports indicated that the delayed emergency response contributed to increasing the damage and losses.
These reoccurring accidents illustrate systemic concerns in road safety, fuel transportation regulation, emergency response, and public behavior in the aftermath of fuel spills.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
