Residents give Total Petroleum 14-day ultimatum to pay N750million as damages for tanker explosion

by Rachel Ogbu

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It’s been over a month since a tanker containing fuel lost control and exploded in Omitowoju, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Now some residents have given a 14-day ultimatum to the management of Total Petroleum Plc to pay them N750m as damages for properties they lost in the fire including buildings, cars and other properties.

[READ: Tragic: Fuel tanker falls off the road, catches fire that guts more than 12 buildings in Ibadan (PHOTO) ]

According to reports, the legal adviser to the residents, Akintayo Akinbola, in a letter dated May 14, written to the Managing Director, Total Petroleum, Plc, Churchgate, Lagos, directed the company to pay the damages within stipulated time or face legal action.

[READ: “My house, a two-story building, was completely burnt”- 92-year-old Ibadan fire victim counts losses ]

[READ: “I lost everything that I have laboured for over the years” – Ibadan fire victim laments ]

The letter read in part:

“On the 22nd of April, 2013 at about 6.30pm, a petrol laden tanker belonging to your company marked LAG XJ 288 SMK negligently and without due care drove and fell off the road thereby spilling off its contents.

“It is our clients’ claim that the explosion from the aforementioned tanker led to fire razing about 60 houses in the area and causing grievous bodily harm to some residents of the area.

“Our clients maintain further that the aforesaid gave room to some hoodlums and miscreants to loot some shops in the area. It is also a fact that three vehicles (a Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat and motorcycle) were destroyed in the inferno.

“We are, therefore, by this letter demanding that you pay our clients a modest sum of N750m which is the estimated cost of rebuilding the houses affected by the fire disaster and replacing some of the personal chattels and wares destroyed by the inferno.”

 

One comment

  1. Must u take him outside de contry

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