Some Lagos residents were seen on Wednesday scooping groundnut oil from an accident scene after a 33,000-litre tanker overturned at Ojota Bridge, around Abiola Garden, inward Old Toll Gate area of the state.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) raised the alarm over the incident, warning members of the public against consuming or selling the spilled oil due to the risk of contamination.
The accident caused a complete obstruction of the carriageway and disrupted vehicular movement along the affected route.
According to a statement issued by the spokesperson of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, Preliminary security reports attributed the incident to suspected brake failure.
LASTMA said it deployed its Rescue and Recovery Team, supported by two high-capacity tow vehicles, to evacuate the overturned tanker and restore traffic flow.
Traffic management personnel were also positioned to coordinate vehicular movement, implement diversionary measures and reduce congestion along the corridor.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed concern over reports that some individuals were scooping the spilled groundnut oil from road surfaces, drainage channels and other exposed locations.
He warned that collecting the oil from such locations could expose consumers to serious health risks because of possible contamination from road debris, environmental pollutants, drainage effluents and other hazardous substances.
Bakare-Oki urged residents, traders, food vendors and other members of the public to refrain from consuming or selling the recovered oil.
He stressed that the desire to salvage spilled commodities should not take precedence over public health, warning that consuming contaminated edible oil could cause avoidable health complications.
Other responders at the scene included personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency.
