Panic gripped residents of Kubwa, a major satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), early Sunday morning, September 27, 2026, after a heavy gas explosion and subsequent inferno destroyed multiple properties near Liberty Junction.
​The incident, which occurred around 6:15 a.m., reportedly shook surrounding residential areas, including Dantata Estate, and uprooted roadside signposts, overturned a police traffic warden’s booth, and damaged at least nine commercial shops in the immediate vicinity.
​Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the disaster was ignited when a motorist, allegedly driving against traffic, lost control and rammed directly into a roadside gas refilling outlet along the Arab Road corridor near Liberty Junction.
The impact punctured gas cylinders stored at the station, sparking an immediate fire and triggering a loud explosion that sent thick plumes of dark smoke into the sky.
​”The explosion was loud enough to wake people from their sleep, and we could feel the buildings shaking,” said a local resident living near Dantata Estate. “Everyone ran out in panic, unsure of what had happened.”
​The vehicle involved was severely burnt, and the driver sustained injuries during the crash and subsequent fire. Emergency services confirmed the driver was rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
​Emergency services, led by the Federal Fire Service (FFS) FCT Command alongside operatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), arrived promptly at the scene around 6:30 a.m. to battle the blaze.
​In an official statement released on Sunday morning, the Federal Fire Service, FCT Command, confirmed that swift intervention prevented the fire from reaching other high-risk commercial stores in the dense area.
​”Federal Fire Service, FCT Command firefighters and other emergency responders today, Sunday 27th September 2026 at about 6:30am swiftly responded to a gas fire at Liberty Junction, Kubwa, Abuja, averting what would have been a major destructive gas explosion,” the command stated in an official release.
​Firefighters fully extinguished the inferno shortly after arrival, dampening remaining hot spots to eliminate any lingering danger of secondary ignitions.
​While no fatalities have been confirmed at the time of reporting, the blast inflicted significant structural damage on surrounding businesses and disrupted early morning commuter traffic around Arab Road and Liberty Junction.
Security personnel from the FCT Police Command have cordoned off the affected perimeter as investigation teams begin looking into the exact circumstances surrounding the car crash and safety compliance at the roadside retail station.
