Alagbe Hezekiah: Ogbomoso-Born Driver Risks Life, Averts Iwo Tanker Fire Disaster
Alagbe Hezekiah: Ogbomoso-Born Driver Risks Life, Averts Iwo Tanker Fire Disaster
A potentially devastating fire disaster was averted in Iwo, Osun State, after an Ogbomoso-born tanker driver, Alagbe Hezekiah, risked his life to move a burning fuel truck away from a filling station, businesses and residential properties.
The dramatic incident occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Feesu Junction along the Iwo-Ibadan Expressway, where the tanker had gone to deliver fuel.
Hezekiah, 38, said fire suddenly broke out while the tanker was being discharged. Initial efforts to contain the flames with a fire extinguisher failed, leaving him with a critical decision as the blaze intensified.
Rather than abandon the vehicle in an area surrounded by people and properties, the experienced driver got behind the wheel and moved the burning truck away from the filling station towards a less populated riverside area.
The decision significantly reduced the danger of the fire spreading to nearby structures and other filling stations in the vicinity. No loss of life was reported.
Hezekiah subsequently separated the truck’s traction head from the burning section, limiting the extent of the damage.
Eyewitnesses credited his quick thinking with preventing what could have become a much bigger emergency, particularly because of the concentration of filling stations, shops and residential properties around the junction.
Hezekiah, an indigene of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, said his primary concern during the emergency was protecting human lives.
He explained that although he was afraid as the fire burned behind him, he decided that moving the vehicle away from the populated area offered the best chance of preventing casualties.
The tanker driver has been in the profession since 2004, giving him more than two decades of experience. According to him, however, the Iwo incident was the first time he had encountered such a dangerous situation in his years behind the wheel.
His action has since attracted widespread commendation, with residents and social media users praising his courage, presence of mind and professional experience.
Beyond the public praise, Hezekiah used the incident to advise other tanker and truck drivers to place safety and human life at the centre of their decisions during emergencies.
He also appealed to the governments of Oyo and Osun states to improve road infrastructure, arguing that better roads would enhance safety and ease the movement of heavy-duty vehicles and other road users.
The Feesu Junction incident has again drawn attention to the importance of emergency preparedness, functional firefighting equipment and rapid emergency response around filling stations and other facilities where petroleum products are handled.
For many residents who witnessed the frightening scene, however, the outcome could have been considerably worse without the split-second decision of the Ogbomoso-born driver.
What began as a routine fuel delivery almost became a major fire disaster, but Hezekiah’s decision to put himself in harm’s way helped ensure that the incident ended without reported loss of life.
