Articulated Vehicles And Increasing Fatalities: A Call To Action

The announcement of the death of Ruth Otabor on Aug. 31, 2025, following a tragic accident involving a heavy-duty truck, has sparked fresh calls for a reassessment of the operations of articulated vehicles.
Otabor, a fresh graduate from the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo, had undergone leg amputation after the vehicle crushed her leg six days after graduation.
Operators of the articulated vehicle, in Otabor’s case, Dangote Group, said it “promptly visited the scene, engaged with law enforcement authorities, and visited the victim and her family at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital”.
The company said its swift response was a reflection of its unwavering commitment to the well-being of those affected.
It assured that the victim would receive full support, including “comprehensive medical care and appropriate compensation, in line with Dangote Group’s welfare policy.”
However, critics accused the company of slow response, concluding that had the victim’s sister not been a celebrity, the matter could have been swept under the carpet.
The former Big Brother Naija winner, Josephina Otabor (Phyna), cried for justice and drew the attention of other celebrities to the plight of her sister.
“Even at that, it took six days before the company released a statement to acknowledge the incident,” an X user commented.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said it received the news of the passing of Otabor with deep sadness.
The corps said that, following the crash, it immediately took proactive steps to engage critical stakeholders towards preventing a recurrence.
The FRSC also said it intensified its collaboration with major fleet operators, including Dangote, BUA, and other heavy truck companies, through structured training and recertification programmes for their drivers.
“The corps will continue to strengthen enforcement, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement to ensure that such crashes are averted in the future,” it said.
To some, the unfortunate incident in Auchi presented a stark reminder of a similar crash involving a truck carrying cement that rammed into a shopping complex and killed at least 15 people in Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, in January 2021.
Because it occurred around the gate of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), many of the victims were students, including the former Students’ Union Government President, Adesomoju Samuel.
While there has been a public outcry against Dangote Group’s trucks, an analysis of road crash data indicates that, generally, accidents involving articulated vehicles are frequently cited as major risk factors.
For instance, of the 693 fatal crashes reported by the FRSC and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in the first quarter of 2024, heavy-duty vehicles and overloaded trucks prominently featured.
Also, articulated vehicles accounted for 252 road traffic accidents resulting in 42 fatalities and 197 injuries in Lagos State alone in 2003, according to the FRSC’s Lagos State Sector Command.
In 2025 alone, there have been some regrettably haunting road crashes involving heavy-duty vehicles.
On March 19, no fewer than 10 people lost their lives in a Karu Bridge accident on the Abuja/Keffi Expressway in Abuja when a CNG-powered trailer lost control and hit several vehicles.
On April 5, 2025, a 40-foot container truck with a brake failure crashed on the Cele Expressway in Lagos, killing a pedestrian and injuring five others.
On May 11, a collision involving two Mack trucks on Eko Bridge in Lagos resulted in a container falling and crushing two dispatch riders, who died at the scene.
On June 22, a container-laden truck with a brake failure crushed a commercial minibus in Lagos, killing the driver. Four days later, a woman died in Ikorodu after being trapped between two iron-rod-laden trucks that collided.
On September 2, an articulated truck and a commercial bus collided on Ikorodu Road in Lagos, killing one passenger.
On September 3, an articulated vehicle loaded with cement from Aba to Abuja collided with a Toyota Corolla trying to overtake another truck, killing at least six people.
These are just a few highlighted incidents.
Following a tragic road traffic crash that involved a heavy-duty truck and nine other vehicles in July 2024, the FRSC ordered an immediate re-inspection and recertification procedure.
Some stakeholders say unfortunately, the frequencies and degrees of these fatal incidents persist.
Mr Ebenezer Duyile, a motorist who experienced the crash in Akungba-Akoko in 2021, said articulated vehicle owners need to do more in terms of training, safety, inspection, and maintenance.
“The owners of those trucks should ensure their articulated vehicles are in top mechanical condition; this includes regular maintenance of brakes, tires, lights, and engines.
“They must also ensure that the container locking mechanism is functional and used properly to prevent containers from falling off the trucks.
“They should also invest in proper training and re-training for their drivers; they should engage professionals from reputable driving institutes to ensure drivers have the necessary skills and knowledge of road safety.
“We have heard of many cases where real drivers just hand over to untrained or poorly trained and definitely uncertified travel companions who are reckless and irresponsible,” he said.
He also said that articulated vehicle owners should not only comply with all road safety standards but also enforce the same on their drivers.
Duyile emphasised the use of retro-reflective tapes on trucks to enhance visibility at night and making appropriate fire extinguishers available.
He said both companies and their drivers should ensure that their vehicles were not overloaded, which stressed the trucks and made them difficult to control.
Haul 237, a digital-based haulage and logistics solutions provider, said staying updated with the latest regulations is very important.
It emphasised five regulations that should be obeyed while driving articulated vehicles on the road, including hours of service (HOS) regulations and the use of electronic logging device mandates (ELDs).
Others are vehicle maintenance and inspection, weight and size limits, and driver qualification requirements.
Take HOS regulations, for example, the maximum driving time for drivers should not exceed nine hours in a day to prevent overexertion, and they must take a 45-minute break after four and a half hours of driving.
They are also supposed to take a minimum of 11 hours off duty after nine hours of driving and should not drive for more than 56 hours in a week or 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks.
Haul 237 said the ELD mandate requires drivers to use electronic logging devices to accurately record their hours of service.
“This helps in monitoring compliance and reducing paperwork; the use of ELDs is encouraged by the Federal Road Safety Corps, the regulatory arm of the government on the roads.
“However, high costs and limited technological infrastructure can hinder widespread adoption; the device helps improve road safety and ensure accurate tracking of driving hours,” it said.
Some stakeholders also call for the restriction of articulated vehicles from plying roads during peak periods, as seen in some states, which is another regulation that needs strict enforcement.
They say that although bad roads and poor infrastructure contribute to road traffic crashes, enforcing these and other existing laws and regulations will help mitigate the crisis. (NANFeatures)