Auchi, Edo State — 20 August 2025
A fierce wave of public dissent is sweeping through Auchi after a tragic accident involving a cement-laden truck on the Auchi–Okpella–Okene highway left three people dead. Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse (aka VeryDarkMan) has become the de facto voice of the community, spearheading street protests and a campaign demanding accountability from the Dangote Group.
Initially, many online voices, including Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries, criticized Dangote’s operations. The cleric accused the company of deploying “untrained” or “drug-influenced” youths to operate heavy trucks—charging that such negligence cost lives. “Your truck just killed three persons… you give trucks to little boys who are high on drugs and untrained,” Suleman declared on social media, pledging that the tragedy “won’t go unchallenged.”
However, emerging evidence paints a more complex picture. According to the Coalition of Edo Civil Society Organisations (CECSO)—in conjunction with local police findings—it was not a Dangote cement truck that caused the accident. Instead, a third-party cement truck reportedly lost control due to suspected brake failure and collided with other vehicles, including a Dangote truck, triggering the fatal chain reaction.
Despite this exoneration, the issue of driver safety, licensing, and corporate responsibility continues to ignite public outrage. VeryDarkMan has gone beyond online activism—he staged protests, blocked all Dangote trucks from traversing Auchi, and insisted the company take responsibility for victims’ welfare and compensate affected families. In one video, he even halted a Dangote truck that had reportedly crashed into a Mercedes-Benz C300, preventing the driver from fleeing the scene.
Apart from calls for accountability, there's growing concern over disenfranchisement of victims. VeryDarkMan exposed the case of a 22-year-old woman hospitalized for 11 months after being crushed by a truck in Auchi. With medical bills exceeding ₦5 million, the victim remains abandoned by the company, he claimed. In response, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) from the South-South Zone issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to the Dangote Group and FRSC, demanding that all drivers be retrained, tested, licensed, and drug-screened—or face a shutdown of Dangote operations across the region.
Summary Table: Timeline & Key Developments
Date Event
17 Aug 2025 Fatal accident occurs near Omega Fire Ministry on Auchi-Okpella-Okene road.
18–19 Aug 2025 Apostle Suleman and VeryDarkMan publicly criticize Dangote; protests erupt.
19 Aug 2025 VeryDarkMan blocks Dangote trucks; highlights cases of abandoned accident victims.
20 Aug 2025 CECSO issues report absolving Dangote truck; NANS issues seven-day ultimatum.
This multi-layered controversy captures a nation grappling with road safety, corporate accountability, and the potent power of digital activism. Though technical evidence has absolved Dangote of direct responsibility, the uproar underscores deeper systemic fears: unlicensed drivers, inadequate safety measures, and marginalized victim care. VeryDarkMan’s actions, combined with pressure from student groups and civil society, signal a pivotal moment—one that could reshape how industrial giants operate and how communities demand accountability in Nigeria.
0 Comments