By Ayodele Quadri, Lagos Times Correspondent
ABUJA, NIGERIA — A major fire outbreak at the AYM Shafa Petrol Station in the Area 3 district of Garki, Abuja, injured four people and caused structural damage to the adjoining Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) office building.
The inferno erupted late Thursday night, August 6, 2026, when a petroleum tanker carrying approximately 60,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) caught fire while discharging fuel into underground storage tanks.
Firefighters from the Federal Fire Service (FFS), alongside emergency crews from the FCT Fire Service and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), battled the blaze through the night using foam compounds and medium water jets. Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, served as Incident Commander on-site until the fire was completely extinguished early Friday morning.
Key Operational Highlights
-
Incident Details: The fire broke out around 10:00 PM on Thursday during product discharge at the AYM Shafa petrol station on Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Way, Area 3, Garki.
-
Injuries Recorded: Four adult males sustained injuries and were evacuated by NEMA ambulances to a nearby medical facility, where they received treatment and were subsequently discharged.
-
Building Impact: Flames spread from the tanker explosion to affect parts of the adjacent three-storey FCT-IRS office building before emergency teams contained the blaze.
-
Containment & Probe: Responders successfully prevented the fire from reaching other commercial structures or underground fuel reservoirs; an investigation into the exact trigger of the discharge ignition has commenced.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ABUJA AREA 3 TANKER FIRE INCIDENT MATRIX │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Location : AYM Shafa Filling Station, Area 3, Garki, Abuja │
│ │
│ • Adjoining Impact : FCT-IRS Three-Storey Administrative Building │
│ │
│ • Cause : Tanker fire during 60,000L PMS discharge operation │
│ │
│ • Casualties : 4 Adult Males Injured (Treated & Discharged) │
│ │
│ • Primary Lead : Federal Fire Service (CG Olumode Adeyemi, Cmdr) │
│ │
│ • Supporting Units : FCT Fire Service, NEMA, & Nigeria Police Force │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘“Our Firefighters Worked Tirelessly to Confine the Fire”
Confirming the emergency response efforts in an official statement, the National Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service, DCF Paul Abraham.
“The Federal Fire Service empathises with everyone affected by the fire incident at AYM Shafa Petrol Station, Area 3, Abuja… Our firefighters were deployed immediately, working tirelessly to confine the fire, prevent its spread to nearby facilities, and bring the situation under complete control.” — DCF Paul Abraham, National PRO, Federal Fire Service
Commending the inter-agency collaboration that prevented further destruction, the FFS added:
“The inferno affected part of the adjoining three-storey FCT-IRS building before firefighters contained it… All four injured adult males were evacuated by a NEMA ambulance to a nearby hospital, where they received treatment and were later discharged. A thorough inspection of the scene confirmed there was no further outbreak or casualty.” — Federal Fire Service Official Statement
