OLOGBO – UGBENU TANK FIRE INCIDENT
REPORT Date of Incidence: October 1st 2023.
Time of incidence: 12am
Location: Benin-Warri -Sapele Road, Ugbenu close to Ologbo bridge(boundary community between Edo and Delta State)
Date of report: 4th October 2023.
Introduction: In the early morning of October 1st 2023, The 63rd Independence day of the Nigerian State, commuters, community people and transporters within the Benin-Warri – Sapele road, where mourning the loss of their fellow commuters, drivers and community people who were victims of a Fuel tanker explosion which occurred at about 12midnight on October 1st 2023 along the Ologbo – Ugbenu axis of the Benin-Warri – Sapele road, the boundary between EDO and DELTA STATE
New Report Reveals Government Cover-Up of Ologbo – Ugbenu axis of the Benin-Warri – Sapele road, the boundary between Edo and Delta State Tanker Disaster Death Toll
LILBECKKING DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (LIBEDEF) Investigation Uncovers Over 50 Casualties, Contrary to Official 7 Deaths Reported AND 8 Injured Ologbo – Ugbenu axis, Nigeria
In an investigation conducted solely by LILBECKKING Development Foundation NGO (CIVIL SOCIETY GROUP) to establish the actual facts of the October 1st fuel tanker accident in Ologbo – Ugbenu axis has found evidence contradicting the government’s severely underreported death toll through interviews with witnesses and firsthand evidence collection at the accident scene.
Investigators spoke with over 5 eyewitnesses including bike riders and other road users in the area who provided credible accounts indicating the tanker crashed along the unsafe road, erupting in flames and burning over 53 people beyond recognition – not the 7 claimed by officials of the goverment.
As part of their fact-finding mission, the investigation team personally recovered over 5 bodies from the wreckage site(swamp). Despite widespread loss of life, government representatives refuse to acknowledge the true scale of impact or provide adequate relief for bereaved families.
The full report being released today corroborates an accurate death toll and the facts surrounding this preventable tragedy through photographic and videos documentation.
LIBEDEF calls on all media and advocacy groups to scrutinize the evidence uncovered through our impartial investigation, and pursue justice and support for the residents of Ologbo – Ugbenu axis as well as the people of EDO and DELTA who suffered immense losses due to negligence.
Details of report
According to an eye witness an Okada rider, Mr. Michael Emmanuel, narrated that while he was picking up passengers at the Ugbenu axis of the Ologbo express road, he heard people shouting that a tanker carrying petroleum products has fallen into a dish by the side of the road, he tried to meander his way through when he heard a loud noise of explosion that have engulfed vehicles that are head on the hold up as at that time of the night. He had to abandon his bike and jump into the Ologbo river for safety. According to him “ When I came back in the morning to carry my bike we counted over 5 dead bodies and as we speak, we are still carrying dead bodies from the river.
Another victim Mrs. Grace Okorefe- a trader, from Oghara town, narrated how her husband bus conveying market women was burnt to ash, all their goods and wears were all burnt, although no live was lost but according to Mrs Grace, her husband is currently at home receiving treatment from the burnt injury he sustained while escaping the huge inferno. ‘’This burnt bus is our family main source of income and now it is burnt, we are calling on the government to come and help us- the pains and suffering is too much on this road ’’.
Field Observation:
While on the field investigation we identified a diseased person who was stuck within swamp grasses by the side of the road and we drew the community people and bike riders attention to it while, they were trying to retrieve the body a man among the community people who was in serach of the wife identified the diseased as his wife.
At the spot we tried retrieving information from him but all effort proved abortive as he as still in shock about the demise of his beloved wife.