Conoil oil Tanker crushes boy playing in Lagos compound

Number 59, Lamina Street, Ikotun Egbe, Lagos, was on Wednesday thrown into mourning after a Conoil oil tanker crushed a four-year-old boy, Daniel Michael, while playing on the premises.
It was learnt that the 33,000 capacity Conoil tanker, with registration number Kano XB 622 DBT, had discharged its contents into some containers in a compound next to the place where Michael and his family members reside.
However, the tanker had some difficulties moving out of the compound as the tyres were stuck in the sand and was being pulled out by a tipper.
Metro learnt that during the process of pulling the tanker out of the sand, the hook attached to the tipper got detached and the tanker forcefully rammed into a makeshift security post of the compound.
The falling blocks of the security post fell on Michael who was playing in the residence. The four-year-old boy was buried under the rubble.
Michael’s 15-year-old elder sister, Joy, who was at the scene of the incident on Tuesday night, said immediately the incident happened, the drivers of the tipper and tankers ran away from the scene.
Joy said, “I was sitting in front of the house when I saw the tanker which was being towed suddenly rammed into the fence. Everybody around the scene at that time scampered for safety as the security post built at the entrance of the building collapsed.
“When I looked around for my brother I couldn’t find him. I called for him but could not find him around. I and other people searched under the rubble and found him buried underneath.
“He was soaked in blood. He was rushed to a nearby hospital on a motorcycle where he was later certified dead. The drivers of the tipper and tanker fled the scene.”
Michael’s 39-year-old mother, Obehi, who lost her husband in May 2009, was not at home when the incident happened.
Obehi, a mother of six, had gone out soliciting for money to secure a new accommodation after their landlord had given them eviction notice to quit their one-room apartment. She learnt about the tragic incident when she returned.
“I am finished. I only went out to look for money to secure a new accommodation and I am faced with this again. Why has life been so cruel to me? “Obehi asked.
She could not speak further as she burst into tears. Michael was the last child of his parents.
Meanwhile, relations, friends and neighbours have called for an investigation into the activities of the owner of the compound where the oil tanker had gone to discharge its content.
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