How I risked my life to drive a burning tanker away from people - Osun driver

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

Mr Hezekiah, from Ogbomoso in Oyo State, said during an interview that the fire incident happened on Thursday while he was set 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.

He explained that he and others first tried to put out the fire using an extinguisher, but the flames quickly got out of control.

When he saw that the fire was beyond control, Mr Hezekiah started 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 then decided to drive the burning tanker away from the filling station and the busy area towards a riverside where there were no people or properties that could be harmed.

"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 understood that this choice could cost him his life but felt it was necessary to prevent a bigger disaster that could harm more lives and property.

"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 managed to move the burning tanker to the riverside near Lado Filling Station at Feesu Junction. When he got there, he detached the tanker full of 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.

Though he admitted he was scared while driving the burning tanker, Mr Hezekiah said his concern for others was stronger than his fear. "I was scared, but I considered saving people’s properties and lives," he said.

Mr Hezekiah, who has been driving tankers since 2004, said he had never faced a similar incident in his over two decades as a tanker driver.

He urged other tanker drivers to remain brave and act quickly in 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 actions have received praise from the public, with calls for him to be officially recognized and rewarded for his bravery in moving the burning tanker away from the crowded area to save lives.

Kamal Adewunmi commented on Facebook, calling the action an example of amazing civilian bravery. He said 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."

Like Mr Hezekiah, in 2022, another brave tanker driver, Ejiro Otarigho in Delta State, was rewarded with N3.2 million by a Civil Society group and Delta State Government after he drove a burning truck away from a busy area to prevent a disaster that could have killed many.

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

He said Mr Hezekiah deserves similar recognition from his employer and the government for his actions.

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.