Posted by By AGATHA EMEADI on
Like a swarm of ants attracted to sugar, residents of Second Rainbow, Festac and Mile 2 in Lagos on Wednesday swooped on the carcass of the petroleum tanker which crashed and caught fire on the Oshodi-Apapa expressway on Tuesday, to scoop remnants of its products.
…As residents throng scene to scoop fuel
Like a swarm of ants attracted to sugar, residents of Second Rainbow, Festac and Mile 2 in Lagos on Wednesday swooped on the carcass of the petroleum tanker which crashed and caught fire on the Oshodi-Apapa expressway on Tuesday, to scoop remnants of its products.
Numbering more than 100, the residents thronged the scene of the tragic accident at the foot of the Mile 2 bridge, with buckets, jerry cans and basins as early as 8.a.m, 'milking" the destroyed tanker.
The raid is coming as traders and businessmen, who trade around the area took stock of their losses, 24 hours after the tragic inferno. The businessmen, who spoke to Daily Sun, put their loss at N20.5 million.
One of those who scooped fuel from the tanker, admitted he was taking risk but said he needed money to feed himself.
' I agree I am taking risk, but I will sell my scoop and feed from there," he said.
Another man, who swore to deal with any law enforcement officer, who may try to disturb his business of the day, said: 'We are scooping fuel to assist ourselves. The people in government have stolen more than this and go about freely. What you see on the pages of newspaper is enough to destroy this country. If any police or army comes around here, we will pour this product on them," he declared.
Women and children, who are supposed to be enjoying their holidays were not left out in the raid. Bunmi, 13, a JSS 1 student of a school in Festac came to the scene in the company of her sister.
' My sister said we should come and get kerosine for the house. She assured me that fire will not burn us," she said.
A fleet of vehicles, including cars and trucks, were destroyed on Tuesday after the fuel-laden tanker heading towards Oshodi fell and went up into flames. Owners of the trailer park, dealers and business associates on Second Rainbow bus-stop, along expressway gathered in circles discussing the inferno, when Daily Sun visited the scene on Wednesday.
Musa Abdullahi, the owner of the trailer park, lost seven trucks, a mini-truck, a bus, generator and 20 pieces of trailer tyres, all valued at N13.5 million.
Okwu Okechukwu lost three trucks, three trailer bodies, 20 pieces of second hand tyres and one generator, while Alphonsus Unigwe lost a trailer worth N1.5 million.
The three men said, the particulars of the tanker driver, who is now at large, had been deposited at the police station.