MAN DISPLAY BRAVERY, DRIVES BURNING LORRY FOR SIX KILOMETRES. CROWD DEFIES FIRE TO STEAL FISH.

The rare bravery displayed by a driver of Edewor Seafood Nigeria Limited, Mr Edosa Idahor, could be likened to incedible roles usually played by the British film character, James Bond, as Idahor drove a burning lorry for six kilometers.

The rear tyre of the lorry with registration number, EDO AK 341 UJE, burst while in motion and caught fire, but the Edo State born driver, in an attempt to salvage the vehicle from being razed completely, remained in it, trying all he could to detach its head from the container.

He drove on from Berger area of Ogun State, where the tyre burst and caught fire, until where he eventually stopped at Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry area on Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, even against sympathisers' advice that he should save his life first.

Idahor, who sustained burns, to the amazement of bystanders and sympathisers, succeeded in detaching the head of the lorry from the burning container after about 40 minutes of battling the situation.

But the unnamed owner of the lorry-load of frozen fish was said to have passed out during the encounter to salvage the lorry and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Ibafo, Ogun State.

Mr Idahor said the fire started when the rear tyre burst and went into flames at Berger area of Ogun State.

He said he had to drive on because there were too many filling stations around the area where the tyre burst and that stopping the vehicle there could be very disastrous.

He said he had to drive on, even against the risk of losing his life, because he was worried about the amount of goods involved and the articulated vehicle.

He said the vehicle was coming from idumota area of Lagos State, and was heading for Warri, Delta State.

But as some sympathised with the driver and praised him for his bravery, others defied the fire to steal the fish cartons of inside the container.

As at the time leaving the scene by 4pm, the crowd was still busy stealing cartons of fish as policemen were yet to arrive. However, the men of the fire service from Ogun State were busy making frantic efforts to put out the fire on the container.

SIMON UTEBOR ( THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER)