BENIN CITY — Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has visited the scene of the petrol tanker explosion at Oluku Market and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) on Friday, October 16, 2026, pledging full state support to rebuild the destroyed market and assist burn victims.
The devastating inferno occurred on Thursday morning, October 15, 2026, after a petrol tanker overturned near the market at approximately 7:30 AM WAT along the Benin–Lagos Expressway in Ovia North-East Local Government Area. The vehicle caught fire at 11:50 AM during an unsafe fuel transfer, leaving at least eight people hospitalized with severe burns and razing goods worth millions of naira.
Speaking during his inspection alongside UBTH Chief Medical Director Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, Governor Okpebholo strongly condemned both the tanker owner for attempting an unsafe fuel transfer without safety precautions and local residents who risked their lives scooping spilled fuel.
“It is heartbreaking that people still expose themselves to such extreme danger by scooping petrol during tanker crashes,” Okpebholo warned, urging citizens to stay away from accident scenes and prioritize human life over material gain. “My government will support efforts to rebuild the market and help affected traders get back on their feet.”
The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expediting financial and medical assistance for hospitalized victims while executing structural rebuild plans for Oluku Market.
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