Edo APC Campaign Council Condoles With Oluku Tanker Explosion Victims, Hails UBTH For Swift Emergency Response

The Edo State All Progressives Congress Campaign Council has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic fuel tanker explosion at Oluku, along the Benin-Lagos Road in Benin City, which claimed lives and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

In a statement issued by its Director of Media, John Mayaki, the council commiserated with families of those who lost their loved ones and prayed for the speedy recovery of injured victims receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

The council described the incident as heartbreaking and called for urgent support for affected families and survivors.

“Our hearts go out to the families affected by this unfortunate tragedy. We share in their grief and pray that Almighty God grants them the strength to bear their losses,” Mayaki said.

He added: “No family deserves to lose a loved one in such painful circumstances. No parent should have to bury a child, and no child should have to lose a parent to a preventable tragedy. No struggling market woman deserves to lose her wares.”

The explosion occurred on Thursday morning after a petrol-laden tanker fell and spilled its contents near Oluku Market, attracting people who attempted to scoop the fuel before the tanker burst into flames.

Ten to eleven injured victims were rushed to UBTH for emergency medical treatment, while corpses were deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.

The council particularly commended the Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Professor Idia Nibokun Ize-Iyamu, for personally coordinating the hospital’s emergency response.

“We commend Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, Chief Medical Director of UBTH, for rising to the occasion and personally coordinating the emergency medical response to this unfortunate incident,” Mayaki said.

He also praised the doctors, nurses, emergency personnel and other UBTH workers involved in treating the victims, describing their efforts as deserving of public recognition.

The campaign council extended appreciation to firefighters, Federal Road Safety Corps personnel, police officers, emergency management agencies, ambulance operators and volunteers who participated in rescue operations.

The council used the opportunity to warn residents against the dangerous practice of scooping petroleum products from fallen tankers.

“We appeal to our people to stop scooping fuel whenever a tanker falls or petroleum products spill on the road. No quantity of petrol or diesel is worth your life,” Mayaki warned.

He urged residents to stay away from accident scenes and alert appropriate authorities, allowing trained emergency personnel to handle such situations.

The APC Campaign Council also criticised attempts to introduce political undertones into discussions surrounding the tragedy, citing a social media post attributed to a Benin-based lawyer that described the fire outbreak as “a welcoming scene for the First Lady.”

Questioning the connection between the explosion and the visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Mayaki urged political actors to place compassion above partisan interests.

“Our differences in politics should never deprive us of compassion. A tragedy is a tragedy, whether it happens under an APC, PDP or ADC administration,” he said.

He stressed that human lives are sacred and irreplaceable, adding that elections will come and go but the priority should always be to sympathise with victims and appreciate those risking their lives to save others.

The council called on relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the explosion, establish the cause, confirm the casualty figures and strengthen safety measures along major highways.

It also urged the Federal Road Safety Corps, fire services and emergency management agencies to intensify public awareness campaigns on the dangers of fuel scooping and unsafe conduct around petroleum tankers.

Governor Monday Okpebholo also visited the burnt market on Friday alongside his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, pledging to rebuild the market and provide financial assistance to affected traders.