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In the quiet town of Gboko, Benue State, grief has quickly turned to fury. On October 21, 2025, a Dangote Cement truck slammed into a Bajaj motorcycle carrying three young graduates along the Gboko-Aliade Road at Luga, a suburb just outside the town. The victims—Ugondo Terkaa (35), Aondozungwe Ugambe (24), and Gber Naomi (29)—died instantly. Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene: two Dangote trucks racing side by side on the narrow road before one veered out of control and struck the motorcycle from behind. The bodies were later transported to a mortuary in Agidi, while police impounded the vehicles involved.
Now, the Mbayion Development Association (YIDA) is demanding justice—and compensation totaling N1.53 billion—from Dangote Cement Plc. In a strongly worded letter dated October 23, 2025, signed by YIDA President General Orver Yongo and Secretary General Comrade Iyareve Tersoo, the group broke down their demands: N10 million per deceased for funeral expenses, N500 million each for wrongful death and losses, and guaranteed employment for one qualified family member from each bereaved household at the Dangote Cement Plant in Gboko.
The association didn’t mince words, calling the incident a “painful loss of the community’s brightest young minds.” They warned that failure to meet these demands could lead to court action but expressed openness to a peaceful resolution through direct talks with Dangote’s management.
When reached for comment, Adamu Alfa, chairman of Dantrans—the transport wing of Dangote Industries Limited in Gboko—confirmed the crash and called it “deeply regrettable.” He clarified that the trucks were from the Ibese plant in Ogun State, not the local Gboko facility, and noted that Dangote now conducts weekly safety sensitization sessions for drivers to prevent future tragedies.
This incident has reignited a broader conversation about corporate accountability and road safety in Nigeria’s transport sector, especially the risks posed by heavy-duty trucks on rural highways. In a region where narrow roads and high-speed hauling are all too common, the deaths of these promising young people have become a rallying cry. Families are threatening legal action, and the community remains on edge, waiting to see if Dangote will step up—or if this tragedy will drag into the courts.
For now, Gboko mourns, but it also demands change.
