Tanker Overturn at Ojota Bridge

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has issued a warning to members of the public against consuming or selling groundnut oil scooped from the scene of a tanker accident at Ojota Bridge, Lagos, citing fears of contamination.

The incident involved a 33,000-litre groundnut oil tanker that overturned around Abiola Garden, inward Old Toll Gate. The crash completely obstructed the carriageway and disrupted vehicular movement along the busy corridor.

Preliminary security reports indicate that the accident was suspected to have been caused by brake failure, which led to the tanker losing control and spilling its edible cargo onto the roadway.

Public Health Risks of Scooped Oil

LASTMA raised the alarm after reports confirmed that several individuals were scooping the spilled oil directly from the road surface, drainage channels, and surrounding exposed gutters for personal consumption and commercial distribution.

In a public health advisory, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, cautioned residents, traders, food vendors, and other members of the public against collecting, eating, or trading the recovered product. He warned that the oil had likely been contaminated by road debris, environmental pollutants, drainage effluents, and other hazardous materials.

Bakare-Oki noted that the potential health risks linked to ingesting contaminated edible oil should not be ignored in the bid to salvage spilled commodities. He emphasized that the exposure made the product unsafe for consumption, urging citizens to prioritize their health and safety.

A statement issued by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, reiterated the warning, urging the public to heed the advisory and refrain from commercially distributing or consuming the spilled oil.

Emergency Evacuation and Inter-Agency Response

The incident prompted an immediate response from LASTMA, which mobilized its Rescue and Recovery Team alongside two high-capacity tow vehicles to evacuate the overturned tanker and restore normal traffic conditions.

Traffic management personnel were deployed across the corridor to manage vehicular flow and execute diversionary routes to ease the gridlock created by the obstruction.

The recovery operation involved a coordinated effort among several emergency and regulatory bodies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency.

The agency reminded the public to maintain caution at accident scenes, stressing that the desire to retrieve commercial goods should never compromise public health and safety.