Dangote Cement Plc has pledged comprehensive medical care and welfare support for Mrs. Ruth Otabor, who sustained severe injuries in a road accident involving one of its trucks in Auchi, Edo State.
In a statement released on Thursday, the company confirmed that senior officials and its insurance team visited the accident scene, coordinated with law enforcement authorities, and met with Mrs. Otabor and her family at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.
“Following the recent road accident in Auchi, Edo State, involving one of our trucks, which sadly resulted in injury to Mrs. Ruth Otabor, senior officials from Dangote Cement Plc, together with our insurance team, promptly visited the scene, engaged with law enforcement authorities, and visited the victim and her family at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital,” the statement read.
The company assured that it would provide full support, including medical treatment and compensation, “in line with Dangote Group’s welfare policy.”
However, the sister of the victim and Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, had accused Dangote Group and its chairman, Aliko Dangote, of attempting to protect the truck driver.
In an Instagram post late Wednesday, she demanded justice, alleging that the company instructed the police to remove the truck’s license plate.
“Dear @aliko_dangotegcon @dangotegroup from all that has happen you decided to rather tell the Nigerian police to remove the plate number on the truck that crush my sister… what happened to seeing my sister first? If that truck and your driver should leave that station!!! I will be right back I’m attending to my sister first,” Phyna wrote. Switching to pidgin, she added, “Na money you get you no be God. But my God is bigger. Enough is enough una don too cho people but you see this??? Ahhhh.”
Actress Kate Henshaw also weighed in, sharing a video of the truck in police custody and claiming that it struck a young woman who had graduated just six days earlier. According to Henshaw, the driver did not stop until an eyewitness chased the vehicle down. She further stated that the victim had already lost one leg and was at risk of losing the other.
Social media activist VeryDarkMan identified the victim as Otabor Bodon Ruth, Phyna’s younger sister, who was reportedly hit while leaving Auchi Polytechnic. “As we speak she is battling for her life in an hospital in JETU, as a result of this accident she has lost one leg and some of her system have completely been destroyed… please sir we need you to take full responsibility… we need justice for RUTH,” he said in a video.
Ruth remains in critical condition, while the truck involved in the accident is still held in police custody. Authorities have yet to release an official statement on the incident. The case has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with calls for accountability and justice for the victim.