Police Hunt Driver Who Cr∆shed SUV Into Abuja Gas Plant, Causing Expl0sion
Police Hunt Driver Who Crashed SUV Into Abuja Gas Plant, Causing Explosion
The police said the driver was allegedly driving against traffic when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the gas plant, triggering the explosion and fire that destroyed adjoining shops and other properties.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has launched a manhunt for the driver of an unregistered Toyota 4Runner SUV allegedly responsible for the explosion at a cooking gas plant in Kubwa, Abuja, on Sunday.
The police said the driver was allegedly driving against traffic when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the gas plant, triggering the explosion and fire that destroyed adjoining shops and other properties.
The incident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at a cooking gas plant near Liberty Junction, Byazhin, Kubwa, in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT.
SaharaReporters had reported that the explosion caused panic among residents, with witnesses saying a loud blast and thick smoke from the gas shop prompted people in the area to flee as the fire spread across the premises.
The blaze reportedly destroyed property worth millions of naira, although the full extent of the damage was yet to be established.
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In a statement on Sunday, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said preliminary investigations had established that the explosion was triggered by a road crash involving the Toyota 4Runner.
Adeh said the vehicle was unregistered and was being driven against traffic before the driver lost control and crashed into the nearby cooking gas plant.
According to her, the impact triggered an explosion and fire which spread to adjoining shops and other properties.
She said the driver and other occupants of the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the incident.
“The command received a distress call from a resident reporting the fire outbreak at the gas plant.
“A team from the Kubwa Police Division was immediately deployed to the scene and met a raging inferno that had spread to nearby shops and other properties. The police contacted the Federal Fire Service, which responded and worked with the officers to contain the fire.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire outbreak was caused by the driver of an unregistered Toyota 4Runner Jeep, who was driving against traffic (one-way). The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the nearby cooking gas plant, triggering an explosion.
“The driver and occupants of the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the incident. The command has established the identity of the driver and a manhunt has been launched to apprehend him,” the statement said.
The police said no casualty had been recorded in the incident, while a detailed assessment of the value of property destroyed was still ongoing.
The Federal Fire Service had earlier confirmed its intervention at the scene, with personnel from its Area 10 station in Garki responding to the fire and preventing it from spreading to nearby properties and homes.
Residents had praised the firefighters for their swift response, which they said helped limit the spread of the blaze.
The police said normalcy had since been restored in the area and urged residents to return to their lawful businesses.
The command also advised members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station or through the FCT Police Command emergency numbers: 08032003913 and 08028940883.
