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PHOTOS: Firefighters avert petrol tanker disaster in Kwara
The Kwara State Fire Service on Saturday averted a major disaster after a petrol tanker conveying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit caught fire at a filling station along the Ilorin–Jebba Expressway.
The incident occurred at Olumo Filling Station, Oko-Olowo Junction, Ilorin, at about 2:31 pm.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Head of the Media Unit of the Kwara State Fire Service, PFO Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, the service said its operatives responded swiftly after receiving a distress call.
According to the statement, the tanker had just arrived at the filling station from Lagos when the fire broke out and escalated rapidly before firefighters were contacted.
“On Saturday, January 17, 2026, at about 14:31 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service responded to a fire incident at Olumo Filling Station, Oko-Olowo Junction, Ilorin.
“The incident involved a petrol tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit. The tanker had just arrived at the filling station when fire erupted and spread rapidly before the Fire Service was alerted,” the statement partly read.
It added that firefighters arrived promptly and worked with professionalism to contain the inferno, preventing it from spreading to the filling station and nearby buildings.
“The petrol tanker was affected, but further escalation into the filling station infrastructure was successfully averted through the gallant efforts of the firefighters,” the statement added.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, CFS Alabi Muhammed, commended the officers for their swift response and professionalism, describing their action as crucial in preventing what could have resulted in massive loss of lives and property.
He sympathised with the filling station owner and advised fuel transporters and station operators to strictly observe safety protocols during fuel transportation and discharge.
“I want to advise filling station operators to ensure routine inspection of tankers and maintain functional firefighting equipment at all times,” he said.
He further stressed that early reporting of fire incidents and strict adherence to safety standards remain critical in preventing fuel-related disasters.
The Fire Service said an investigation had commenced to determine the cause of the fire.
Fire outbreaks involving petrol tankers and filling stations have remained a recurring safety concern in parts of Kwara State, especially along major highways such as the Ilorin–Jebba corridor, which records heavy traffic of fuel tankers supplying northern Nigeria.
In recent years, the Kwara State Fire Service has intensified emergency response efforts, public sensitisation campaigns and safety inspections to curb fire-related incidents, particularly those linked to petroleum products.
The agency has repeatedly warned operators of filling stations and fuel transporters to comply strictly with safety regulations, noting that most fire outbreaks are often caused by negligence, faulty equipment or poor handling of inflammable products.
The latest incident comes amid renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety standards at fuel depots and filling stations across the state to prevent avoidable disasters.
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