45,000 Litres of Fuel Spill in Ilorin as Fire Crews Avert Disaster

A tanker leaking Premium Motor Spirit turned parts of Ilorin into a danger zone on Saturday evening, as about 45,000 litres of fuel spilled out along Old Jebba Road.

The Kwara State Fire Service says the incident happened at a Conoil filling station in the Maraba area, after a tanker that had brought fuel from Lagos ran into trouble during offloading.

The incident occurred after station staff detected a mismatch between the expected and measured volume of fuel. While attempting to draw some of the petrol back, the valve reportedly became stuck open, causing the product to spill freely.

The Kwara State Fire Service spokesperson, Hassan Adekunle, said the fuel spread from the station towards Post Office Road and Amilengbe Road, posing a serious risk to motorists, residents and nearby businesses because of the highly flammable nature of PMS.

Chief Fire Officer Alabi Muhammed commended the firefighters for their prompt response, saying their timely intervention prevented the situation from escalating.

The police and the Kwara State Road Traffic Management Authority also assisted by diverting traffic from the affected roads to provide a safe working environment for the firefighters.

Muhammed called for stricter safety measures among tanker operators and filling stations, particularly regular inspection of valves, hoses and other equipment before fuel transfer.

He warned that spilled PMS could ignite rapidly even without visible flames and urged members of the public to stay away from fuel spills and immediately alert emergency services.

The incident came a day after another tanker carrying a similar quantity of PMS reportedly detached from its cab along the New Jebba Expressway in Oloru, Moro Local Government Area, while travelling from Lagos to Abuja.

The driver noticed an unusual noise and pulled over before the situation worsened. Fire service personnel remained at the scene until the fuel was safely transferred into another tanker.