A petroleum tanker carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) overturned on the Ibadan-Oyo Expressway on Friday, creating a potentially hazardous situation for motorists and nearby communities.

The incident, which occurred on May 23, 2025, involved an INVECO trailer with registration number MA 183 SA Katsina that swerved off the road and fell by the roadside, according to officials.

Hon. Maroof Akinwande, Chairman of Oyo State Fire Service, confirmed the incident in a statement released on Saturday morning. He reported that the fire incident was called in at exactly 11:45 hours on Friday.

"The agency's officers led by ACFS Tijani Bamidele promptly deployed to the scene of the incident," Akinwande stated. "On getting to the scene, we met an INVECO trailer tanker loaded with 45,000 litres capacity of petroleum spirit that had swerved off the road and fallen by the roadside."

The fire service team took immediate action to prevent a potential disaster. "The firemen swiftly swung into action by covering the spillage with chemical foam compound to neutralize the flammability of the content, so as to prevent it from attracting naked fire that might lead to explosion," the chairman explained.

The operation was carried out successfully, and normalcy has been restored for road users. However, the chairman issued a stern warning to the public, urging "road users and entire communities to dissociate themselves from the habit of scooping petroleum spirit from falling petroleum tankers."

This incident comes just days after another tanker fell and exploded in Oyo State, highlighting growing concerns about the transportation of hazardous materials on Nigerian highways.

The quick response of the fire service team prevented what could have been a catastrophic situation, as fuel tanker explosions have resulted in numerous casualties and property damage across Nigeria in recent years.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the accident, but investigations are likely to follow as part of efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future.