Nigeria’s Deadly Roads and the Menace of Trailer Accidents
By MUKHTAR Ya’u Madobi,
It is deeply alarming that Nigeria’s highways have become virtual death traps for commuters. The causes are many, from poor road infrastructure to faulty vehicles and reckless drivers. But among the most devastating culprits are heavy-duty trucks, trailers, and fuel tankers whose accidents have claimed countless lives and destroyed properties across the country.
Crashes involving these vehicles are frighteningly frequent. Beyond the loss of human life, they often reduce cars, shops, and homes to rubble, plunging entire families and communities into grief. The danger becomes even worse when fuel tankers are involved.
Many Nigerians, driven by desperation, rush to scoop spilled fuel, ignoring warnings—only to be caught in fatal explosions. In 2024 alone, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Benue Sector Command reported that 411 Nigerians died while scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
This accounted for 7.6% of all road traffic deaths that year. One tragedy that gripped national attention was the death of Ruth Otabor, sister of former Big Brother Naija housemate Phyna. On August 13, 2025, she was hit by a truck owned by Dangote Cement near Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State.
After surgery and the amputation of one leg, Ruth succumbed to her injuries on August 31. While the Dangote Group covered her medical bills, the incident underscored a recurring nightmare on Nigerian roads.
Just days earlier, on August 17, three people were killed in Auchi, Edo State, when two trucks—one from Dangote Cement and another unidentified—collided with a GLK Benz near the Omega Fire Ministry. These tragedies prompted activist Martins Vincent Otse (popularly known as VeryDarkMan) to block Dangote trucks from plying the road until the company took responsibility for victims’ medical bills and better regulated its drivers.
But Ruth’s case is far from isolated. On August 15, at least 12 people died and several others were injured when a DAF trailer carrying goods and passengers crashed in Garun Malam Local Government Area of Kano State along the Zaria–Kano Highway.
Similar tragedies occur across the country—in Lagos, Ondo, Jigawa, and other states—where fuel tankers, trailers, and articulated vehicles leave trails of destruction. One of the deadliest in recent memory happened in October 2024, when an overturned tanker exploded in Jigawa, killing over 140 people who had rushed to siphon fuel.
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Crashes involving heavy trucks are among the most catastrophic, contributing to Nigeria’s ranking among the countries with the highest road accident rates globally. Road accidents are now the third leading cause of death in Nigeria, causing trauma and productivity losses that amount to an estimated three percent of the nation’s GDP.
The FRSC recorded 5,421 fatalities in 2024, a 7% increase from 5,081 in 2023. Between January and March 2025 alone, 2,650 crashes caused 1,593 deaths and 9,298 injuries. Despite decades of campaigns and regulations, Nigeria still loses about 5,000 lives and records over 31,000 injuries from road crashes every year.
The causes are well known. Reckless driving and overspeeding are leading culprits. Poor vehicle maintenance, faulty brakes, and overloading amplify risks. Many trucks are unfit for the roads yet continue to operate unchecked. Narrow highways, poorly designed bridges, and weak enforcement of traffic laws make matters worse.
In Lagos, containers frequently fall off trailers because they are poorly secured, while daytime operation of heavy trucks heightens risks for pedestrians and motorists alike. Poverty also plays a tragic role, as rural dwellers sometimes rush to scoop fuel from overturned tankers, only to perish in explosions.
Government agencies, particularly the FRSC, have tried to address the menace through awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement. Some states have restricted daytime movement of heavy trucks, and safety standards have been introduced for tanker operations.
But enforcement is inconsistent, and nationwide legislation on daytime restrictions for heavy-duty vehicles has yet to be passed. Experts insist that Nigeria must adopt a multi-pronged approach to end this cycle of bloodshed. Stronger enforcement of vehicle inspections and driver licensing is vital.
Fleet operators should be compelled to install modern safety technologies such as speed limiters, brake-assist systems, and secure load mechanisms. Accident-prone roads and bridges need urgent redesign, while heavy trucks should be restricted to nighttime movement.
Public education campaigns must also discourage risky behavior such as fuel scooping, and quick-response emergency units should be stationed along major highways to reduce fatalities. The death of Ruth Otabor received national attention because of her sister’s fame.
Yet countless other Nigerians have died in similar circumstances, many without media spotlight. Each accident is a painful reminder that solutions exist, but implementation remains weak.
If Nigeria is truly serious about saving lives, trailer and heavy truck accidents must be treated as a public health emergency. For families like Ruth’s, reforms may come too late, but for thousands of lives still at risk, urgent action is the only fitting tribute.
MUKHTAR Ya’u Madobi is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Crisis Communication. He writes via: [email protected]
