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In this harsh period of fuel scarcity, it was like “manna from heaven” for youths in Olodo area of Ibadan on Monday when a petrol tanker crashed in the area and accidentally emptied its 33,000 litres of fuel.
Men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had a hectic time stopping the scores of youths who thronged the area with kegs to scooping petrol from a gutter where the fuel poured into.
Men from the State Fire Service however managed to pour some soapy substance on the spot to prevent fire outbreak.
The fuel tanker was said to be going to Iwo when it lost control due to the inability to switch gear as it attempted to ascend a hilly road. This made it drift backward from the hill.
An Officer of the National Security Civil Defence Corps, Disaster Management Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Mr. Adedapo George was quoted as saying: “When we got here, we were told by the second driver that the destination of the tanker was a filling station in Iwo that as they were going along the hill, the tanker was unable to forge ahead so it fell from the hill while trying to manoever but there was no casualty”.
He added that they were able to stop and disperse the crowd who were scooping the fuel gushing out of the tanker into a nearby church adding that some of the youths attacked them by throwing stones at them.