Students Declare Nationwide Protest Over Dangote Cement Truck Tragedies

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has announced a nationwide peaceful protest against what it described as the “recklessness of Dangote Cement Plc truck drivers” following a series of fatal and life-altering accidents involving the company’s vehicles.

The protest, which will run from August 18 to 20, 2025, will see students across the country picketing Dangote Cement facilities and business outlets.

In a statement signed by Comrade Usman Ibrahimnyass Dende, Action Committee PRO of NAPS, the association said history had once again thrust on students the “painful but unavoidable duty” to rise against injustice and corporate irresponsibility.

Two Tragedies in One Week

According to the students, the protest was triggered by two major accidents within days.

On August 12, 2025, Miss Ruth Otabor, a fresh graduate of Auchi Polytechnic, lost her leg after being crushed by a Dangote truck while undergoing skill acquisition training. The commercial motorcyclist conveying her was also left critically injured.

Barely five days later, on August 17, another Dangote truck rammed into a Mercedes GLK near Auchi, killing three people instantly and injuring several worshippers of Omega Fire Ministry, some of them students. Among the victims was Precious, a young lady identified as an Auchi Polytechnic student.

“Five days ago, we cried for Ruth. Today, we cry for Precious. Tomorrow, who knows?” the statement read. “Dangote trucks have become moving coffins, terror on our highways.”

Students Demand Justice

The association accused the company of “systemic negligence and corporate irresponsibility,” insisting that ordinary Nigerians have become victims of reckless drivers unleashed on the roads.

“If Ruth were the daughter of a boardroom executive or the child of the company’s owner, she would have been airlifted abroad for world-class treatment. But because she is the daughter of ordinary Nigerians, she is left to languish in pain,” NAPS said, quoting Chinua Achebe: “When one finger brings oil, it soils the others.”

The group listed a series of demands, including:

1. Suspension and retraining of drivers to meet proper certification standards.

2. Comprehensive medical care for Ruth Otabor and the injured motorcyclist, funded by Dangote Plc.

3. Employment and lifelong security for Ruth, including a three-bedroom apartment in Ikoyi and permanent support for the injured rider.

4. Road safety measures, including pedestrian bridges and FRSC monitoring units around Dangote operational corridors.

5. Strict speed limits for trucks in student environments.

6. Full accountability and public safety audits from the company.

Call for National Support

NAPS emphasized that the action was not an attack on business but a defence of life.

“This is more than a student struggle – this is a national struggle. If Dangote’s trucks can maim and kill students today without consequence, tomorrow it could be your child, your sibling, your neighbour, or even you,” the statement read.

The group urged Nigerians from all walks of life – students, workers, civil society, market women, artisans, and professionals – to join the peaceful protests.

Quoting Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, NAPS said: “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”

The students concluded with a vow not to relent until justice is served and lives are protected.

“Injustice has a shelf life, and its expiry date is written by the courage of the oppressed,” the statement declared.