The university town of Akungba-Akoko in Ondo State was thrown into mourning on Wednesday night following yet another devastating accident involving a cement-laden truck allegedly belonging to Dangote Cement Company. By the time the smoke and dust cleared, eight lives had been lost — among them a pregnant woman, a young mother, and her child — leaving the entire community shattered and enraged.
The fatal crash occurred around 8:00 p.m. along the bustling main road that snakes through the Akungba-Akoko community in Akoko South-West Local Government Area, just a few meters from the main gate of Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) and the historic Holy Trinity Church. This stretch of road, notorious for past tragedies involving heavy-duty vehicles, once again became a scene of chaos and death.
A Familiar Tragedy Revisited
Eyewitnesses described the crash as one of the most gruesome in recent memory. The truck, reportedly on transit from Obajana in Kogi State, was said to have lost its brakes while descending the hilly stretch that leads into the heart of Akungba. In seconds, the vehicle — heavily loaded with cement bags — veered off the road, ramming into traders, pedestrians, and motorcycles lined up by the roadside.
“It came with such speed that no one had a chance,” said one eyewitness, a student of Adekunle Ajasin University who narrowly escaped being crushed. “There were loud screams everywhere — mothers calling their children, traders trying to run. The truck didn’t stop until it hit the barricade and overturned. It was terrible.”
Among the victims were a pregnant woman, a young mother and her little child, as well as several male passersby. Their lifeless bodies were later retrieved by emergency responders and volunteers who struggled through the mangled wreckage late into the night.
Community Outrage and Pain
As news of the accident spread, angry residents poured into the streets, wailing, protesting, and cursing what they described as “avoidable negligence” by both authorities and local actors. For many, the tragedy was a painful reminder of previous fatal accidents in the same location — incidents that had prompted community members to erect a barricade years earlier to prevent heavy trucks from passing through the narrow, residential road.
But in recent months, the barricade had mysteriously been removed. According to locals, certain groups within the town had turned the safety blockade into a toll point, collecting money from truck drivers who wished to bypass it.
“Some boys in the community had been using the barricade to extort N10,000 from truck drivers before allowing them to pass through,” a resident said bitterly. “It became a business for them, and government officials looked the other way. Now innocent people are dead again.”
Videos from the accident scene showed villagers crying beside the crushed vehicles and damaged stalls, as volunteers wrapped the dead in makeshift cloths while waiting for emergency services. The air was thick with the smell of fuel, smoke, and anguish.
History of Neglect
The Akungba axis has long been a death trap. Between 2020 and 2022, the community witnessed at least three fatal accidents involving Dangote trucks, claiming dozens of lives — many of them students of Adekunle Ajasin University. In one particularly devastating incident in January 2021, a Dangote truck lost control near the university gate, killing several students and traders.
Despite repeated appeals by residents and traditional leaders, government authorities have done little to permanently restrict the passage of articulated vehicles through the town. The community’s hilly terrain and narrow roads make it ill-suited for heavy trucks, yet it remains a busy route for vehicles heading toward Owo, Ikare, and Kabba.
“We have begged the government to construct a bypass or an alternative route for these trucks,” said Chief Samuel Adefarati, a local elder. “They keep promising, but nothing has been done. Every few months, we are burying our people again. This cannot continue.”
Official Response
Confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, Mr. Ezekiel Ibitoye, said eight persons lost their lives in the crash. The victims, he explained, included five men, two women, and a child.
“The truck, which was coming from Obajana, lost control due to brake failure and rammed into people around the university gate,” Ibitoye said. “Our men were on the scene immediately to carry out rescue operations, and the corpses have been deposited at the mortuary.”
He also confirmed that several others sustained injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Dangote Group Under Fire
While the FRSC has not officially confirmed ownership of the truck, eyewitnesses and local residents insist it bore the Dangote Cement logo. This has reignited public outrage against the company, which has been repeatedly linked to similar accidents in various parts of Nigeria.
“Dangote trucks are killing Nigerians every day,” a protester shouted at the accident site. “They drive recklessly, overload their vehicles, and destroy our roads. Yet nothing ever happens to the company.”
On social media, the incident quickly went viral, with hashtags like #AkungbaTragedy and #DangoteTruckKillings trending. Many Nigerians called for an investigation into the frequent road crashes involving Dangote trucks, demanding accountability from both the company and government regulators.
“The federal and state governments must wake up,” one post read. “If these trucks must move, they must meet safety standards. Enough of these avoidable deaths.”
Government Reaction and Public Safety Debate
By Thursday morning, Ondo State officials visited the crash scene, promising a full investigation. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Commissioner for Transport, described the tragedy as “deeply unfortunate” and vowed to ensure the enforcement of road safety regulations across the state.
However, many locals remain skeptical, describing similar promises made in the past as “empty political talk.” They argue that until the government enforces strict regulations on truck movement and roadworthiness, tragedies like Akungba’s will continue.
Experts have also pointed to broader systemic issues — from poor road maintenance to lax enforcement of transportation safety standards — as factors contributing to Nigeria’s growing number of highway fatalities.
“Truck drivers often operate under poor mechanical conditions, with minimal regulation,” said Dr. Tunde Agboola, a transport safety analyst. “The brake failures we hear about are not random. They are a symptom of neglected vehicle maintenance and weak oversight. This is not just a company problem; it’s a national failure.”
Human Toll and Grieving Families
In the aftermath, the small university town has turned somber. Many of the victims were breadwinners, students, or traders trying to survive in a struggling economy. Among them, the pregnant woman and the young mother with her child have become symbols of the human cost of negligence.
At the community’s health center, relatives of the victims could be seen wailing uncontrollably as they identified the bodies. “My sister was just returning from church,” said one man through tears. “She was with her little daughter. Now both of them are gone.”
In Akungba, grief has become a recurring visitor — a familiar shadow that lingers with every heavy truck that thunders down the hill.
Renewed Calls for Action
Community leaders, student groups, and civil society organizations have renewed calls for the federal and state governments to take decisive action. Proposals include the permanent diversion of heavy trucks from the Akungba corridor, stricter enforcement of speed limits, and the establishment of mechanical inspection points for long-haul trucks.
In a statement, the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Adekunle Ajasin University demanded immediate intervention. “We can no longer sit and watch our campus community become a graveyard,” the union declared. “The government must construct a bypass road and ensure no truck passes through Akungba again.”
A Town’s Cry for Justice
As dusk falls over Akungba-Akoko, the scene of the crash remains cordoned off, littered with broken glass, twisted metal, and traces of blood — a grim reminder of yet another tragedy that might have been prevented.
For now, eight families are in mourning, a university community is traumatized, and an entire state is asking the same question: How many more lives must be lost before those in authority finally act?
In Akungba, grief is turning into anger — and anger into a collective call for justice. Because for too long, Nigerians have died not just from accidents, but from a nation’s failure to learn from them.
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