It’s been almost two months – 53 long days – since the horrific Karu Bridge fire, a tragedy sparked by a Dangote truck. Clement Idoko Onu, a survivor of this terrible event, is understandably disheartened.
Despite the weeks he spent in the hospital and his ongoing recovery at home, neither Alhaji Aliko Dangote himself nor anyone representing his company has contacted him.
As Persecondnews reported, the Dangote cement truck erupted in flames after a collision with a parked vehicle beneath the Karu Bridge in Abuja.
The incident, which occurred around 6:58 pm on March 19th, involved a trailer hauling cement with two large compressed gas cylinders attached behind the cab.
The devastating fire tragically claimed the lives of ten individuals and completely consumed at least 14 vehicles.
According to the Acting Director-General of the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, a total number of 30 victims received treatments at various hospitals, with eight at Karu General Hospital, 10 at Customs Hospital, 11 at National Hospital, and one at Aso Clinic.
In an exclusive interview with Persecondnews at the weekend in Abuja, the father of six, who also lost his wife’s cousin in the accident, also lamented that neither Dangote nor any of his representatives has reached out to his cousin’s family to offer financial assistance for burial expenses or support for the widow and children.
Tears welled up as Onu paused, struggling to regain his composure. Overcome with emotion, he spoke of the heavy burden of guilt he carries. He expressed feeling like he had failed his in-law, haunted by the inability to save him from the inferno.
“I feel very flat emotionally ever since the accident. He was counting on me a lot, because we have been friends for a long time. Even when I was struggling to survive, I was still begging people to help him get to the hospital,” he told Persecondnews.
The sexagenarian also voiced his disappointment with the government. He stated that despite promises to cover the medical costs for those affected, no action has been taken.
He further explained that he hasn’t even submitted his bills to the appropriate authorities yet, highlighting the lack of progress on it.
He said: “Up till now, as I am speaking with you, the government has not helped with my bills, maybe because I have not presented them. I will likely reach out to the appropriate authorities.
“They visited me at the hospital – specifically, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital came, after I was transferred there the next day due to a fracture that required specialised equipment not available at the Customs Hospital.
“The Medical Director, alongside the representative of the Minister of Health and the Minister for FCT, visited me in my hospital bed and assured me they would cover the bills.”
Onu, whose family managed to raise N2.2 million for hospital expenses and drugs, said: “Definitely, I will approach the government for reimbursement. But if they refuse, so be it. At least my life is more valuable than money; the payment is not going to make any difference but will help me to recoup the expenses.
“My family members, including my cousin, raised the money to offset my hospital bills. The majority of the expenses were for medication, which we had to purchase outside because, as you know, government hospitals often do not provide drugs. Our rough estimate of the total expenditure so far is around N2.2 million.”
Reflecting on that terrible day, the Benue native, his voice heavy with the memory, said it was an experience he wished he could erase. “A cousin of my wife came to me with an exciting business idea,” he began, “a power generating station that held the promise of progress for our community.”
“We headed into the main town to find people who could help with the issue. Around 6 pm, as we were returning to New Nyanya, where I live, our vehicle, which was carrying six passengers plus the driver, making seven of us, got involved in an accident.
“As we approached Karu bridge, the next thing I knew was that our car was hit from behind with great force, sending us careening into the opposite lane. Honestly, I was confused and disoriented, unsure of what was happening.
“I saw cars colliding into each other, and everything happened in the blink of an eye. Our car was tilted on its side, with my side facing the ground, and I noticed it had caught fire. I was not sure if the fire came from the tank, but I could feel the heat.
“I thought maybe it was my time to die; honestly, my thinking was unclear. But I knew I did not want to die inside the car. If I stayed, my body might not be found. So, I decided to try and escape. I pushed away the person sitting next to me in the front seat – not the driver, who I think had already jumped out. I am still unsure if he was alive or not.
“I tried to jack myself up, and that was when I realized one of my legs was injured. I used my hands to break the front glass of the car. Honestly, I am still not sure how I managed to drag myself out,” he also said.
He continues: “The heat from the car was intense, so I lay down flat and continued rolling away from it. Unfortunately, I rolled into the roadside concrete gutter. Throughout this ordeal, I had cuts in several places, and blood was gushing out from the one on my head.
“I started begging people to take me away from the scene, but they were too busy taking videos. Luckily, two boys took me to the FRSC shack beside the road and set me down there, just as the first explosion occurred.
“Before that, I begged a woman to call my wife and tell her to come to Karu bridge because I had been in an accident.
“Initially, my brother-in-law was alive but badly injured. Despite my own pain, I begged people to help carry him to the hospital, telling them he was my brother. I kept calling his name to see if he would respond. At one point, I begged some boys to move him closer to me, and that is when they told me he was dead.
“Two other boys took me across the road and laid me down on Karu diversion road, just as the second explosion occurred. I started begging people again to take me to the hospital. A man on an okada stopped, and another man sat behind me. They took me to Customs Hospital in Karu.
“I must commend the medical staff at the hospital for their hard work. They were exceptional, as most of the accident victims were brought there, and you could see them working together seamlessly. I pray for them every day and will continue to do so.”
When asked about whether Dangote had compensated the owners of the 14 vehicles destroyed in the fire, as would be expected under a Third Party Vehicle Insurance Policy, Onu stated that he couldn’t say. As a passenger, he simply wasn’t aware of those details.
He also expressed his deep sadness over the growing tendency for bystanders to film accident victims instead of offering assistance. He described this behaviour as utterly shameful.
“We need to speak out more about this trend of prioritising videos over helping victims. Honestly, it is really bad. We are losing the empathy and kindness that some of us grew up with.
“As a young man, I was a sales representative in my early twenties, and I traveled frequently. I lost count of how many times we had to use the company car to transport accident victims to the hospital during our travels,” he said.
When asked about the actual number of fatalities from the accident, Onu questioned the official count, saying he believed more people died.
“From my perspective as an eyewitness, I think the death toll is higher than what the government reported. The 10 fatalities they mentioned seem low compared to what I saw while I was sitting there during the accident’” he said.
Florence, Onu’s wife, recounted the agonizing emotional journey she experienced from the moment she received the devastating call about her husband’s accident to the moment she finally saw him in the hospital.
She described being consumed by overwhelming fear, yet clinging fiercely to an unwavering belief that her husband would pull through.
She said: “As soon as I received the call, I was with one of my daughters in the Lord who jumped into the car with me. I started driving to the scene.
“Before I could even reach the junction to the expressway, the woman who called me phoned again, saying the situation was critical and I needed to be there immediately. I told her I was coming all the way from New Nyanya and was already speeding.
“She said my husband was in a dire situation, pinned under the car with the vehicle on fire, and that by the time I arrived, it would be too late. I reassured her, ‘Mother Mary will safely remove him from the fire,’ and she responded with ‘Amen’ before hanging up. When I was near Mararaba, I called her again, and she said she had left the scene due to the explosions.
“As I approached the bridge, the traffic was gridlocked, and the heat emanating from the scene was intense. Meanwhile, I called some relatives who lived near Karu bridge, asking them to rush there ahead of me.
“We split up and began searching for him in hospitals around Karu and Mararaba until I finally found him at Customs Hospital.
“Unfortunately, my cousin did not survive the accident; he has been buried. The painful part is that I could not attend because I was with my husband at the national hospital.”
In a Friday exclusive with Persecondnews, legal expert Mr. Kelechi N. Ugochukwu offered guidance on the path forward. He advised that individuals whose vehicles were destroyed, those who sustained injuries, and the families who tragically lost loved ones should now seek legal counsel.
Their lawyer, he explained, would then issue a formal demand letter to Dangote company, outlining their claims for compensation due to the damages suffered.
Ugochukwu further elaborated that this letter would typically include a 14-day deadline for the company to respond, a timeframe within which a reply is highly probable.
“Typically, in accident cases, companies tend to react when there is public pressure or mainstream media coverage. If individuals do not assert their rights, companies might not proactively reach out. However, if the issue gains significant attention, they will likely be forced to respond,” he said.
Ugochukwu said: “In Nigeria, the law governing Third Party Insurance is primarily the Motor Vehicles Third Party Insurance Act of 2004. This act mandates that all motor vehicle owners obtain third-party insurance to cover liability for injuries in the event of an accident.
“Vehicle owners, including companies, are legally required to insure their vehicles against third-party risks, covering damages and injuries to individuals who are not employees, drivers, or owners of the vehicles.
“The first major requirement is that the vehicle must have mandatory third-party insurance coverage, which is not optional. Secondly, the insurance policy must be underwritten by an insurer registered and licensed to operate in Nigeria.
“The next aspect is liability coverage, which determines the extent of third-party insurance coverage. The insurance must cover three key areas: death of the third party, bodily injury to the third party, and damage to the third party’s property.”
According to the lawyer, if Dangote does not respond, the next step would be to identify their insurance provider and send a direct claim to the insurance company, notifying them that their insured client caused third-party damages to specific individuals.
“What is needed is evidence: proof of destroyed properties, records of lives lost, documentation of expenses incurred at the time, and photos. Attach these and send them in the letter; they will definitely respond.
“Most times, when you write to companies, they will direct you to their insurance company. The insurance company will then ask you to submit your claim with evidence. It may take around three to six months, but they will definitely respond.
“If the company and its insurance provider refuse to respond, the next step would be to take them to court, which most companies prefer to avoid.
“In situations where a life was lost during the accident, the family members of the victim are entitled to two major benefits: reimbursement of burial expenses and what is known as Fatalities Damage Sum.
“There’s a benchmark—a minimum amount they are entitled to as fatalities damage sum. For some companies, the minimum payout is N500,000, while for others it ranges from N1 million to N5 million, depending on the insurance company, provided the lawyer can prove the accident caused the person’s death.
“Another factor considered is the victim’s status, such as being a breadwinner. For example, a family head with four children is taken into account through what is called ‘likelihood of survival’—estimating how many more years the person would have lived if the accident had not occurred.
“For instance, an 80-year-old man would likely have a shorter life expectancy than a 40-year-old man. These factors are considered when determining the payout amount,” he explained.
During a visit to the Karu Bridge junction on Friday, Persecondnews reporters observed that the very trailer responsible for the devastating fire remained parked precariously beside the busy road, creating an ongoing hazard.
Adding to the grim scene, the wreckage of the 14 vehicles consumed by the flames was found discarded just a short distance away, directly in front of the Karu Police station.
Efforts were made by Persecondnews to obtain reaction from the FCT police command were unsuccessful.
