Hero Driver Averts Disaster, Drives Burning Tanker away from Iwo Filling Station

By Israel Olayanju

What could have been a massive fire disaster was on Thursday averted at Feesu Junction, Iwo, Osun State, when a 38-year-old tanker driver risked his life to drive a burning diesel tanker away from a filling station and residential area.

The driver, Mr. Alagbe Hezekiah, an indigene of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has been widely hailed as a hero for his act of bravery and selflessness.

The incident occurred on September 17, 2026, at Feesu Junction along the Iwo-Ibadan Expressway, opposite Lado Filling Station, where Hezekiah had gone to supply diesel.

Sources said the tanker had already been connected to the station’s hose and discharge was in progress when fire suddenly erupted from the truck. The cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained.

Hezekiah and his motor boy initially battled the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the fire quickly went out of control, throwing the area into panic.

While his apprentice fled for safety, Hezekiah took a daring decision. He jumped into the burning tanker and drove it out of the filling station.

“I thought of what I can do to avert putting lives of many and properties at risk. I drove the vehicle out of the petrol station,” he told our correspondent.

“I scanned the area for where there are no people living. I decided to drive to a riverbank where there will be no casualties.”

Hezekiah said he was fully aware he might not survive the journey.

“I took the bold step with the conviction that I may survive or be consumed and die with the incident. However, sacrificing my life to save properties and other people’s lives would be better than risking others with the incident,” he said.

Eyewitnesses at Odo-Ori Market said Feesu Junction, which hosts several filling stations, shops and houses, could have been razed if the tanker had exploded at the station.

Hezekiah drove the flaming vehicle to an uninhabited riverbank and swiftly detached the head from the burning tank, stopping the fire from spreading further. No life was lost.

The driver, who has been driving tankers since 2004 with over 22 years experience, said he had never faced such a dangerous situation.

Residents and traders in the area have since described his action as a rare display of courage and professionalism.

Hezekiah, meanwhile, has appealed to the Osun and Oyo State Governments to urgently rehabilitate deplorable roads frequently used by tanker drivers, and urged his colleagues to always prioritize human lives above property.