RismadarVoice Reporters
August 15, 2026
Panic broke out in parts of Ilorin, Kwara State capital, on Saturday after about 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit spilt from a petroleum tanker at a filling station along the Old Jebba Road.
The Kwara State Fire Service said the incident occurred at about 5:08 pm at Conoil Filling Station, Muritala Mohammed, in the Maraba area of Ilorin.
The service disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Hassan Adekunle, a copy of which RismadarVoice obtained.
According to Hassan, the tanker had conveyed the PMS from Lagos to Ilorin and was scheduled to discharge one compartment of the three-compartment tanker at the filling station.
He said trouble started after the filling station management took measurements and discovered a discrepancy between the expected and measured quantity of the petroleum product.
He added that an attempt to retrieve some of the PMS from the tanker led to the valve being opened, after which the product began gushing out uncontrollably.
“The valve could no longer be controlled, and a large volume of PMS subsequently spilt within the filling station and began flowing towards Post Office Road and Amilengbe Road,” Hassan said.
The PRO said the spill created a significant danger to motorists, residents, businesses and nearby petroleum facilities because of the highly flammable nature of PMS.
He, however, noted that no fire broke out during the incident.
Hassan noted that operatives responded swiftly after being alerted and immediately began preventive measures to prevent the spilt petrol from igniting.
“Firefighters deployed chemical foam compound to saturate the affected areas, including the filling station, Post Office Road and Amilengbe Road, thereby mitigating the possibility of rapid combustion and preventing the situation from escalating into a major fire incident,” Hassan said.
He said the prompt intervention successfully contained the hazardous situation and prevented what could have developed into a major fire disaster.
Commenting on the incident, the Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, commended the firefighters for their professionalism, courage and prompt response.
“Timely intervention played a critical role in preventing a potentially catastrophic incident,” Muhammed said.
