Lagos Warns Against Consuming Groundnut Oil From Fallen Tanker

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has warned residents, traders and food vendors against consuming or selling groundnut oil recovered from a tanker that overturned at Ojota Bridge in Lagos.

The warning followed an accident on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, involving a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of groundnut oil near Abiola Garden, inward Old Toll Gate. The incident spilled the oil onto the road, disrupted traffic and attracted residents who were reportedly seen collecting the product in containers.

LASTMA expressed concern that some individuals were scooping the spilled oil from the road surface, drainage channels and other exposed areas for domestic use or resale.

The agency’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, warned that the recovered oil could have been contaminated by road debris, environmental pollutants, drainage effluents and other potentially hazardous substances.

He urged members of the public to avoid collecting, consuming or selling the spilled product, stressing that the desire to salvage valuable commodities should not override public health and safety.

According to the agency, consuming contaminated edible oil could expose unsuspecting consumers to avoidable health complications. Traders and food vendors were also cautioned against purchasing the recovered oil for commercial distribution.

Preliminary security reports indicated that suspected brake failure might have caused the tanker to overturn. The accident obstructed the affected carriageway and caused traffic congestion along the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor.

In response, LASTMA deployed its rescue and recovery team, supported by two heavy-duty tow vehicles, to remove the overturned tanker and facilitate the restoration of traffic movement.

Other agencies involved in the response included 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.

The agencies worked together to support recovery operations, manage traffic and reduce the disruption caused by the incident.

No casualties had been reported at the time of the initial reports.

LASTMA urged residents to cooperate with emergency responders and refrain from collecting spilled food products following road accidents, particularly when the products may have been exposed to contaminated surfaces or drainage water.

The authority reiterated that public health must take priority over attempts to recover spilled goods and warned against selling potentially contaminated oil to unsuspecting consumers.