No fewer than six persons lost their lives on Tuesday when a petrol tanker ran amok in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries.
The tanker, reportedly conveying about 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, also wrecked at least five commercial tricycles during the incident.
According to findings by PUNCH Metro, the crash occurred at the Fruits Market area along the Oje–Beere corridor in Ibadan South-East Local Government Area.
Witnesses said the accident was caused by brake failure as the tanker descended the busy Mapo–Beere–Oje route, before ploughing into unsuspecting road users.
A tricycle operator, Ademola Aderibigbe, who escaped with minor injuries, narrated how he survived the incident.
“I had just left a mechanic’s workshop and was testing my tricycle around Beere when I suddenly heard a loud sound.
The force pushed me aside, and before I could recover, the tanker had moved towards Oje,” he said.
He noted that multiple tricycles were crushed in the process.
Another eyewitness, Suleiman Oguntayo, decried the frequent accidents on the road, attributing them to mechanical faults and reckless driving.
He explained that the driver lost control near Beere, hitting two tricycles and killing their occupants before proceeding towards Oje market, where more casualties were recorded.
“People tried to stop the tanker, but it kept moving and knocked down more victims. Some died instantly, while others were rushed to nearby hospitals,” he added.
Oguntayo called on relevant authorities to urgently address the recurring crashes along the axis.
At the Mapo Divisional Police Station, a grieving relative of one of the victims said his brother succumbed to injuries after being taken to the hospital.
“My brother welcomed a baby just days ago. We hoped he would survive, but he eventually died. He left behind a newborn,” the relative said.
An okada rider, identified simply as Gafaru, also claimed that the death toll might be higher, noting that some victims had yet to be identified.
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident and disclosed that the matter would be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, also confirmed the crash, adding that the exact number of casualties was still being determined as of the time of filing this report.
