TRAGEDY struck in Ogun State on Friday evening when a Dangote Group truck lost control and rammed into a tricycle, killing all five passengers on board instantly.
News Point Nigeria learnt that the fatal crash occurred around 8:25 p.m. at Alapoka village, along the Papalanto–Ilaro Road in Yewa South Local Government Area, sparking outrage among residents who nearly attacked rescue officials deployed to the scene.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the truck, with registration number GRZ 767 XA, reportedly suffered brake failure before colliding with the tricycle.
“The tricycle, which was unregistered, was conveying five passengers when the Dangote truck lost its brakes and rammed into it,” Akinbiyi explained.
“All five victims died on the spot.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the truck was not even aware he had hit the tricycle until its tyre completely crushed the vehicle and its passengers.”
Following distress calls, TRACE operatives led by the Acting Head of the agency, Adedayo Omonayajo, and the Ilaro Divisional TRACE Commander, Salako Idowu, rushed to the scene.
But their efforts to evacuate the bodies and clear the wreckage were met with hostility from angry residents, who accused the Dangote truck drivers of repeated recklessness on the roads.
“The rescue team was almost attacked by irate residents. However, the swift intervention of the Amotekun Corps helped calm the situation and prevented further breakdown of law and order,” Akinbiyi said.
The bodies of the deceased were later deposited at a nearby morgue by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
This latest tragedy adds to the long list of fatal crashes involving Dangote trucks in Nigeria.
In November 2024, a Dangote truck suffered brake failure in a multiple-car crash across Lagos and Ogun States, killing four people and leaving seven others injured.
In June 2021, a Dangote truck crushed a commercial motorbike rider and his passenger in Ogun, sparking mob violence that ended with the truck being set ablaze.
Most recently, Phyna, a Big Brother Naija reality TV star, lost her sister in an accident involving another Dangote truck, a case that drew public outrage and trended across social media.
These repeated tragedies have continued to fuel debate over the safety culture and maintenance standards of trucks belonging to Africa’s largest conglomerate.
A Transport expert, Abdurrashid Sani told News Point Nigeria that poor truck maintenance, overloaded vehicles, and fatigue among drivers are recurring factors in these crashes, which claim dozens of lives across Nigeria.