It was another tragedy on Wednesday evening in Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, as a truck owned loaded with cement lost control and crushed several persons, including a pregnant woman, along the Akungba-Owo highway.
A viral video which surfaced online immediately after the accident occurred saw students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) making efforts to rescue those crushed under the truck
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At the time the video was circulated, there were no rescue personnel from the police or the Road Safety Corps.
Authorities were yet to respond to the development as of the time of filing this report, but witnesses say not less than 10 people lost their lives in the accident.
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It was reported that the truck heading from Ikare to Akungba had a brake failure and overran the barricade erected at the AAUA main gate before colliding with pedestrians.
The student body at the university claimed the affected truck is owned by the Dangote Group but the company strongly rejected the claim saying “the verified vehicle registration details confirm that the truck with Plate No. JJJ 365 XB, is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group.”
A statement by the AAUA Student Union Government (SUG) Public Relations Officer, Ajidagba Mosadoluwa, says 10 people lost their lives in the accident.
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“We regret to inform the entire student populace that an articulated vehicle belonging to Dangote Group of Companies suffered a brake failure from Ikare en route to Akungba, and destroyed by accident the permanent barricade erected at the university main gate,” the statement read.
“As it stands, close to 10 persons have lost their lives due to this tragic incident
“As we can recollect, the students’ union has made several efforts to ensure that trucks stop plying Akungba roads as they can pose a danger to the lives and property of our students.”
He urged students to stay calm to ensure peace and order within the school community, assuring that the union would continue to be in the struggle to protect the students.
Meanwhile, the Student Union Government of the AAUA and the palace in Akungba are embroiled in buck-passing as both have accused each other of compromising the barricade placed on the highway to restrict trucks from using the route.
It was gathered that a barricade was erected on the way in the wake of incessant accidents and brake failure by heavy-duty trucks.
The trucks were expected to make a detour through town and travel through Isua to Ipele, a route with a more gentle gradient and safer for heavy-duty trucks.
But reports had it that some persons who have access to the keys to the padlock placed on the barricade were extorting the truck drivers to allow them to go through the barricade.
The palace officials and those of the SUG hold the keys to the padlock.
While the blame game continues, no one has yet been held responsible for allowing the truck that fell on Wednesday to go through the barricade.
The accident occurred two months after a lady, Ruth Otabor, was crushed to death by a Dangote truck near the Sports Complex of Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, on 11 August.
READ ALSO: Dangote urges Nigerians to patronise locally-made goods
Dangote’s branding policy
Dangote trucks have been reportedly linked to several accidents around the country, resulting in the death of some people.
However, many of the trucks are not owned by the company but by independent logistics companies, which choose to brand their vehicles with its permission.
The company said it maintains a policy where all its trucks are properly branded, tracked, and operated by trained personnel under rigorous safety and compliance standards.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been updated to include the Dangote Group’s denial of the claim that the truck involved in the accident belonged to the company.
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