Six Feared Dead After Gas Truck Explosion Engulfs Vehicles at Kogi Army Checkpoint

At least six people have lost their lives following a devastating gas truck explosion at an Army checkpoint along the Abuja-Lokoja Federal Highway in Kogi State.

The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday night within the Chikara Division area, where a truck transporting gas cylinders reportedly exploded as it approached the military checkpoint, triggering a massive fire that engulfed multiple vehicles.

According to eyewitnesses, the explosion was followed by a fierce blaze that spread rapidly, trapping occupants of nearby trucks before emergency responders could contain the flames.

“The driver of the gas truck and his motor boy were burnt to death. The fire also spread to three other trucks, killing their drivers and motor boys. In total, six people died in the incident,” an eyewitness recounted.

The affected trucks, bearing registration numbers from Jigawa State, Lagos State, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), were completely destroyed by the inferno.

Emergency response teams, including officers of the Nigeria Police Force, personnel from the Motor Traffic Division, and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), swiftly arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire, recover the victims, and secure the highway.

The bodies of the deceased were evacuated to the General Hospital in Abaji, while the wreckage of the burnt vehicles was cleared from the road to restore normal traffic along the busy Abuja-Lokoja corridor.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident. Attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Salisu Oyiza Afusat, for confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages went unanswered.