On Friday, the Kwara State Fire Service stopped a group of villagers from taking 33,000 liters of petrol from a truck that had overturned at Passa village on the Ilorin-Ogbomoso Expressway
The truck, with license plate SAP 920 YK, spilled its contents on the road at Passa village near Eyenkorin along Oko Olowo in the Asa Local Government Area of the state, as some villagers gathered to try to take the spilled fuel.
Hassan Adekunle, the Head of Media and Publicity for Kwara State Fire Service, stated that firefighters, along with officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the police, stopped the villagers from taking the fuel.
He explained, "On Friday, April 19, 2024, at 12:33 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service quickly responded to a call reporting a tanker spill at Passa, Eyenkorin expressway along Oko Olowo, Asa Local Government. The tanker involved had the vehicle registration number SAP 920 YK.
The dedicated firefighters from the Kwara State Fire Service promptly soaked the area and the tanker to reduce the risk of fire. Despite the danger, some individuals in the area were ready to illegally siphon the petrol.
Thankfully, due to the timely intervention of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police, along with the Fire Service, the situation was brought under control.
The fuel was safely transferred to another empty tanker through coordinated efforts and cooperation, while security personnel remained watchful at the scene.
Adekunle mentioned that the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Falade John, expressed gratitude to the NSCDC and the Nigeria Police for their crucial assistance, which allowed the Fire Service to carry out its duty effectively and without obstruction.
In a similar incident, The PUNCH reported in November 2022 that the Kwara State Fire Service saved two petrol tankers loaded with 66,000 liters of fuel from an explosion during an accident on Ilorin-Jebba road in Kwara State.
The Fire Service, as stated by Adekunle, rescued two petrol tankers with Reg. No WSE163XA and FGF372ZS after they collided in an accident at Kambi-Oloru on the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway.
