The spate of killings and road accidents allegedly caused by truck drivers working for the Dangote Group has drew the ire of Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW) as the apex Yoruba youth group threatens to shutdown the company’s investments in Southwest if it fails to address the worrying trend that had cut short many lives, rendering others incapacitated.
In a petition delivered to the Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, on 17th November, the group worries that the reported cases of the company’s truck drivers killing innocent Nigerians daily along Ijebu-Ode/Ago Iwoye/Ijebu Igbo via Ibadan link Express way has continued unabatedly.
The group claimed that a vehicle conveying its members was involved in an accident caused by one of the company’s ‘killer trucks’ while returning back to Lagos on Friday, 15th November. In the accident, five other vehicles were said to have crashed into a ditch, causing injury to all passengers.
The petition made available to The New Diplomat was jointly signed by the YCYW President, Aare Oladotun Hassan; Southwest Zonal Coordinator, Segun Nelson and its Southwest Publicity Secretary, Abdul Hakeem Adeleke.
“We are compelled to demand for justice over the Incessant reported cases of your company’s truck drivers killing innocent Nigerians in most gruesome and reckless manner daily, with much emphasis on the Ijebu-Ode/Ago Iwoye/Ijebu Igbo via Ibadan link Express way.
“We are concerned over the incidence that occurred to our Council’s car on our way back from Lagos for an important national meeting on Friday 15th November, 2019 caused by one of your truck, wherein about 5 other vehicles where hit into a ditch, consequently all occupants sustained various degrees of injuries, most of whom are now under intense medical attention.
“We are aware of the illicit mode of recruitment of incompetent and underage drivers, mostly from the North, who are well known to be on hard drugs before mounting the steering on voyage to kill on our Highways, precipitating our fundamental demand for a full forensic audit of all your driver’s as at date.”
While demanding that a thorough investigation be carried out to weed out and prosecute truck drivers who have perpetrated the criminality, the group vows to file a suit against the company in court, demanding for N100bn as compensation for accident victims, should Dangote fail to prosecute all drivers involved in the criminality within seven days of receiving the petition.
“Take Notice: We laconically demand due investigation and onward prosecution of all truck drivers involved in this heinous criminality on or before 7 days upon receipt of this notice, failure of which we shall instruct our lawyers to immediately Institute vicarious liability action for damages and compensation of N100Billion for all the slained person’s family and dependants via civil and corporate criminal liability litigation for sentencing of all culprits found wanting and culpable forthwith.
“Take Further Notice: That we shall mobilize for a total shut down of all Dangote investments in any parts of Yoruba Land, with consequential mass protest and media firepower until sanity is restored on our roads.
“In view of the above, we are aware of your despotic and deceitful interference with police investigation and your connection with some state political powers in the state targeted to undermine our civil actions, but be rest assured, that the full wrath of the law shall caught up with you soon,” it said.
