Edo tanker fire: Okpebholo visits victims, pledges to rebuild burnt market

By Jethro Ibileke

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has blamed the owner of a fuel tanker for Thursday’s fire that gutted Oluku Market.

The Governor disclosed this on Friday when he visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

Recall that the popular market, located along the Benin-Lagos Road in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, was razed on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after a fuel tanker fell by the roadside and exploded.

Okpebholo described the incident as avoidable, saying the tanker owner worsened the situation by bringing another tanker to transfer fuel without safety precautions.

“The owner of the affected tanker brought another tanker to evacuate the fuel, which is very wrong. If this had not happened, there would not have been any fire incident,” he said.

He assured traders that his administration would not abandon them, promising to rebuild the market and support those who lost their goods.

The Governor also disclosed that First Lady Oluremi Tinubu had commiserated with victims and families of the deceased.

“I spoke to the First Lady this morning and she expressed sadness over what happened yesterday,” he said.

He cautioned residents against scooping fuel at accident scenes, noting that both state and federal governments had spent heavily on public sensitisation.

“We are sorry. We as human beings should take precautions whenever something like this happens. Before the explosion, people were scooping fuel. The state and federal governments have spent a lot of money on advertisements to educate the public to stay away from such disasters, but people won’t listen,” he said.

Governor Okpebholo later visited victims receiving treatment at the Burns and Plastic Ward of the Accident and Emergency Department, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

The Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, conducted the Governor, his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa, former Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Senator Matthew Urhoghide round the wards.

Addressing parents of the victims, Okpebholo again warned residents to avoid fuel scooping and reaffirmed his commitment to restoring the traders’ livelihoods.