Scores of people were on Thursday afternoon reportedly feared dead in a Lagos petroleum tanker explosion. Though officials claimed about nine lives were lost after a tanker loaded with petrol product burst into flames on the Otedola Bridge in Berger, Lagos.
A three-year-old boy, Eyitayo, his mother, twin sister and the driver were reportedly in a car close to the flaming tanker.
Few hours after the incident, a post with the boy’s picture went viral on social media with information that boy and the driver could not be found thereafter.
The post read; “The boy in this picture is a three-year-old named Eyitayo.”
“He was involved in the unfortunate tanker explosion which occurred at Otedola Bridge, Berger, Lagos on 28th June 2018 with his mother, twin sister and driver named Mr Joseph. They were a few cars away from the tanker when the explosion occurred.
“The driver (Mr Joseph) carried Eyitayo while the mother escaped with Eyitoke (Eyitayo’s twin). However, the whereabouts of Eyitayo and Mr Joseph is still unknown as all attempts to trace them at the scene of the accident proved abortive.”
According to TheCable NG, another information popped up on Friday indicating the little boy has been found but further enquiries stated otherwise as the boy’s mother was not reachable for confirmation.
The report stated Funmi Balogun, Eyitayo’s aunt, on Sunday, however, confirmed the boy was still missing.
“We have not found him,” Balogun answered in a weary tone. “One person posted that he has been found. We have not seen him.”
When contacted, Adebayo Kehinde, head, public affairs unit of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said his office does not know the whereabouts of the boy.
“For me, I don’t have any details concerning the boy,” Kehinde told TheCable. “We don’t have any details in my office.”
Chike Otti, Lagos police command spokesperson, was not available for comment when TheCable reached out to him.
Balogun had accused the officials of not telling them anything.
“We were there this morning again, nothing,” she said.
