LASTMA warns against consumption of spilled groundnut oil in Lagos

By Adebola Muili

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has warned residents, traders and food vendors against consuming or selling groundnut oil scooped from the scene of a tanker accident at Ojota Bridge, Lagos, over fears of possible contamination.

The warning followed the overturning of a 33,000-litre tanker conveying groundnut oil around Abiola Garden, inward Old Toll Gate, which obstructed the carriageway and disrupted traffic along the affected corridor.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, said the agency’s General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed concern over reports that some people were collecting the spilled oil from the road, drainage channels and other exposed locations.

Bakare-Oki warned that the oil could be contaminated through contact with road debris, environmental pollutants, drainage effluents and other potentially hazardous substances.

He urged residents, traders and food vendors to refrain from consuming or selling the recovered oil, stressing that the desire to salvage spilled commodities should not take precedence over public health and safety.

The agency cautioned that consuming contaminated edible oil could expose unsuspecting members of the public to avoidable health complications.

Meanwhile, LASTMA said it deployed its Rescue and Recovery Team, supported by two heavy-duty tow vehicles, to evacuate the overturned tanker and restore traffic movement.

Traffic management personnel were also positioned to coordinate vehicular movement and implement diversionary measures to ease congestion caused by the accident.

Preliminary security reports attributed the accident to suspected brake failure.

Other responders at the scene 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.

Their coordinated intervention complemented LASTMA’s efforts to manage traffic and address the immediate consequences of the incident.