How I risked my life steering burning tanker away from populated area – Osun driver

A 38-year-old tanker driver, Alagbe Hezekiah, has narrated how he risked his life to move a burning petrol tanker away from populated areas in Iwo, Osun State, to protect lives and property.

Mr Hezekiah, an indigene of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, said in an interview that the fire incident which occurred on Thursday started suddenly while he was about to deliver petrol to a filling station in Iwo.

“We don’t know where the fire came from. We don’t know what caused the fire,” he said.

According to him, he and others initially tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, but the flames quickly grew beyond their control.

When he realised that the fire could no longer be contained, Mr Hezekiah said he began thinking about the people and properties around the filling station.

“I thought about people’s properties and their lives that should not be wasted,” he said.

Mr Hezekiah made the decision to drive the burning tanker away from the filling station and the populated area towards a riverside where there were no people and properties that could be affected by the fire.

“I thought about the next thing I could do, so I decided to drive the tanker out from the filling station,” he said.

The driver said he knew the decision could cost him his life but considered it necessary to prevent a potentially larger disaster that will involve more lives and properties.

“I thought about people because if the fire continued, more lives could be lost. So I thought of sacrificing my life to save other lives,” he said.

“I thought wherever it leads to, since it is only my own life, I’ll accept my fate.”

Mr Hezekiah eventually relocated the burning tanker to the riverside opposite Lado Filling Station at Feesu Junction. On reaching the location, he detached the tanker containing petrol from the truck before driving the vehicle away from the burning tank.

“I was ready to sacrifice my life to save other lives,” he said.

Although he admitted that he was afraid while driving the burning tanker, Mr Hezekiah said his concern for the safety of other people outweighed his fear. “I was scared, but I considered saving people’s properties and lives,” he said.

Mr Hezekiah, stated that he has been driving tankers since 2004, said he had never experienced an incident similar to the event throughout his more than two decades as a tanker driver.

He urged his fellow tanker drivers to remain courageous and think quickly when confronted with emergencies.

“My advice for my fellow tanker drivers is that we should be brave enough for incidents like this. They will save more lives and properties,” he said.

Public calls for recognition

Mr Hezekiah’s action has attracted praise from members of the public, with some calling for him to be formally recognised and rewarded for his bravery in moving the burning tanker away from the populated area to save lives.

Kamal Adewunmi, in a comment on Facebook, described the action as an example of exceptional civilian bravery, saying Mr Hezekiah knowingly put himself in danger to protect lives and property.

“His action deserves to be recognised as exceptional civilian bravery, not merely as ‘doing his job’,” Mr Adewunmi said.

“He knowingly drove a burning tanker away from a populated area, potentially preventing multiple deaths and massive property destruction.”

Similar to Mr Hezekiah’s case, in 2022 an heroic tanker driver, Ejiro Otarigho in Delta State was rewarded by a Civil Society group and Delta State Government with N3.2 million after driving a burning truck away from a populated area to avert a disaster which could have claimed many lives.

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Mr Adewunmi cited the case of a tanker driver in Pakistan, Muhammad Faisal who was rewarded by the Balochistan government in 2022 after driving a burning oil tanker away from a crowded neighborhood.

He said Mr Hezekiah deserved similar recognition from his employer and the government for his action.

Another commenter, Anagoazeezakuta Olalekan, also praised the driver for protecting people in the community. “The man tried his best by protecting the lives of the people around that community,” Mr Olalekan said.