Four vehicles set ablaze as arsonists attack Governors filling station

Four vehicles set ablaze as arsonists attack Governors filling station

Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah’s Pinnacle Filling Station, along Agbani Road, Enugu, has on Friday morning been set ablaze by gunmen suspected to be secessionists.

The attackers, numbering four, arrived at the station in a Toyota Corolla around 10 a.m. and proceeded to snatch the fuel pump nozzles from attendants.

They splashed fuel on nearby vehicles and set them ablaze, igniting panic in the area.

Four cars belonging to customers were completely destroyed, along with three additional vehicles at a nearby car wash.

The attackers used a 25-liter can to douse the cars with fuel before setting them on fire.

Firefighters from the Enugu State Fire and Emergency Service were quickly dispatched to battle the flames, while the state Commissioner of Police led a team to assess the damage.

The entire filling station sustained fire damage, and four vehicles were burned beyond recognition.

The attack caused widespread panic, prompting businesses and residents in the vicinity to shut down.

Police cordoned off Agbani Road, forcing motorists to take alternative routes.

This marks the second time Pinnacle Filling Station, owned by Governor Peter Mbah, has been targeted.

In June of last year, the station at New Haven was attacked, but police managed to prevent its complete destruction.

However, according to a statement by the DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, the fire may have been caused by a leakage from one of the vehicles that were on queue to purchase fuel.

The statement reads: “A fire incident occurred at Pinnacle Filling Station, Agbani Road, Enugu, in the morning hours of today, Friday, September 20, 2024.

“The fire was immediately put out with the support of the personnel of both federal and state fire services, who promptly responded to the emergency situation.

“No life was lost. However, three vehicles on the queue to purchase fuel were torched, while normalcy has since been restored by the police.

“A preliminary investigation suggests that the fire may have been caused by fuel leakage from one of the vehicles buying fuel at the station.

“However, the Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, who led police operatives to the scene, has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State CID to conduct a full-scale investigation into the incident.”