• Company blames third-party operator
By Obinna Uballa
Public anger is mounting after two fatal accidents involving Dangote-branded trucks occurred on Wednesday along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, reportedly killing people, including an entire family and a tricycle passenger identified as Ebuka, whose father reportedly died in a similar crash last year.
Eyewitnesses described the scenes as horrific, with videos showing a car completely crushed by a trailer at Four Corner in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“A family was said to have been in the vehicle, and none of them came out alive,” an eyewitness disclosed.
Reacting to the reports, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) said the ill-fated truck does not belong to its fleet, despite carrying its logo. The company identified the vehicle as belonging to Visco Investment Global Limited, a third-party operator.
“We are actively engaging with the appropriate agencies to determine why the truck in question was bearing our logo, despite not being part of our fleet,” the company said in a statement, adding that it plans to tighten measures against the unauthorised use of its brand identity.
The company also condemned what it called “misinformation” linking all such accidents to Dangote trucks without verification.
The explanation, however, did little to calm the outrage on social media, where many Nigerians expressed anger over recurring crashes involving Dangote-branded trucks.
DefenceTimes wrote on X: “Why always in the South-East? In 2023, a man in Enugu was crushed by a Dangote truck. This afternoon, on that same Enugu-PH highway, his only surviving son was crushed by another.”
Another user, Nnamdi, recounted: “In 2023, a man living in my area was crushed by a Dangote truck. This afternoon, on that same Enugu-PH highway, his only surviving son was crushed by another Dangote truck. This is the guy I’m talking about, Ebuka Gege. His late dad was Gege. Two different accidents occurred today on that highway. Both involved Dangote trucks. First accident killed UNTH staff. The second took the life of this guy and passengers in his keke. All Dangote trucks.”
Chima, another user, wrote: “This is truly heartbreaking. How many more lives must be lost before something is done about the recklessness of these trucks on our roads? An entire family wiped out in seconds, it’s beyond painful. Authorities need to stop turning a blind eye and enforce stricter safety measures. Innocent lives shouldn’t keep paying the price for negligence.”
Temitope added: “Again… another family house turned into a house of mourning. No consequences, no court action, no sympathy.”
The tragic crashes come just days after the death of Ruth Otabor, younger sister of Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Phyna, who succumbed to injuries sustained in an earlier accident involving a Dangote truck in Auchi, Edo State.
In a statement on Sunday, August 31, the company had expressed condolences to Ruth’s family, noting it had covered all medical expenses and even arranged to fly her to India for advanced treatment before she passed.
Dangote reiterated its commitment to safety and accountability, pledging to strengthen safety systems and support victims and families affected by accidents involving its operations.
