I was ready to die in burning tanker to save lives, says heroic driver

A 38-year-old tanker driver Alagbe Hezekiah, has said he was ready to die in the burning tanker than risk the death of many.  

On Thursday, September 17, 2026, what could have been a catastrophic national tragedy was averted by his act of bravery at Feesu Junction, along the Iwo-Ibadan Expressway, opposite Lado Filling Station in Iwo, Osun State.

Hezekiah had gone to supply fuel at a filling station in Iwo. The hose had already been connected to offload the content, a diesel-laden tanker, when fire suddenly erupted from the truck. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

According to him, he and his motor boy immediately tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but the inferno was beyond the control of the extinguisher and was spreading fast toward the filling station, nearby shops and residential buildings.

But while his apprentice fled the scene in panic, Alagbe made a decision that only a true hero could make.

Instead of running for his life, he jumped into the burning tanker and drove it out of the filling station, away from the crowd, fuel pumps as well as lives and properties.

 “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.

 ‘’I scanned the area for where there are no people living. I decided to drive to a riverbank where there will be no casualties,” he recounted.

 “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 drove the flaming tanker through the road, with fire engulfing the back until he got to a safe, uninhabited riverbank area where he detached the head of the truck from the burning tank, preventing the fire from spreading further.

Eyewitnesses at Odo-Ori Market said if he had not acted that fast, the entire Feesu Junction, which is surrounded by filling stations, businesses and homes would have gone up in flames.

Because of his bravery, no life or property was lost. Alagbe, who had been driving tankers for 22 years, said said he had never encountered such a situation before.