Tragedy in Benue as Dangote Truck Crushes Three to Death on Gboko-Aliade Road

Three persons lost their lives instantly after they were hit by a Dangote truck in Benue State on Friday, marking yet another fatal accident involving heavy-duty vehicles on Nigerian roads. The tragic incident occurred at Luga, a suburb situated along the busy Gboko – Aliade road. The victims were two biological brothers and a woman, all travelling together on a Bajaj motorcycle.

Dependable NG reports that eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture of the accident, stating that two Dangote trucks were allegedly driving side-by-side at excessive speed on the narrow road. The motorbike and its three occupants were struck from behind by one of the trucks, which was unable to avoid the collision due to the lack of adequate space on the road created by the dual movement. All three riders were killed immediately upon impact at the scene. The bodies of the deceased were subsequently evacuated and deposited at the mortuary located in Agidi, a nearby suburb, while the two trucks involved were immediately taken to the police station in Gboko.

The deceased brothers were identified by local eyewitnesses as Orgem Ugondo and Aondozungwe Ugondo, both hailing from the Mbatan kindred in Mbayion, Gboko local government council. However, the identity of the lady, whom witnesses stated had been given a lift by the brothers while on their way home, remained unknown at the time of this report. When contacted regarding the tragic accident, Adamu Alfa, the chairman of the Gboko branch of Dantrans, the transport wing of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), confirmed the collision and described the event as “sad.” He clarified that despite the accident occurring in Gboko, the particular trucks involved were registered from the Dangote Cement plant located at Ibese and were not part of the Gboko plant’s local fleet. Alfa further noted that in an effort to curb such frequent road incidents, the Dangote group now conducts weekly sensitisation and orientation sessions for all drivers in their employ, focusing on safety measures and proper conduct while operating on public roads.