13th October, 2021
By Muhammad Adam/Yola
No fewer than seven suspected smugglers of petroleum products have been gruesomely burnt to death in a tanker fire in Mubi, a commercial hub of Adamawa.
Mubi borders Cameroon.
A witness Alhaji Mansur Bala, said the ghastly fire occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.
Bala said that the fire broke out when the victims were siphoning petrol from the tanker to over 1,000 plastic jerrycans at a filling station.
Another witness, Malam Iliya Haruna, told NAN that he counted seven bodies, burnt beyond recognition.
Haruna said that among the dead were two brothers who were well known in illegal petrol business in Mubi.
Dr Mohammed Sulaiman, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) has confirmed the incident.
Sulaiman however said that only three people were killed in the incident, while two sustained various degrees of injuries.
“The petroleum tanker fire incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at about 1.30 a. m.
“So far, three people lost their lives and two sustained injuries from fire burns and they are receiving medical treatment at the Mubi General Hospital,” Sulaiman said.
He said property worth millions of naira were also destroyed by the fire.
The executive secretary, therefore, advised petroleum products dealers in the state to as matter of safety avoid operation during odd hours.