A tragic accident involving a Dangote truck on Wednesday has left a fresh graduate of the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, and sister to reality TV Star Phyna, Otanor Ruth Bodom, fighting for her life after one of her legs was amputated.
Doctors say her other leg may also require amputation.
Bodom, who only last week earned a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Marketing, was struck by the truck shortly after leaving the school premises.
According to her sister, Josephina Otabor, the driver described by witnesses as underage and without a valid licence attempted to flee the scene but was chased down and stopped by commercial motorcycle riders.
“Police preliminary investigations show that the driver was not licensed to drive. How could they hand such a huge truck to a small boy? Why would Dangote, of all people, employ an unlicensed driver? This is exploitation, just to save costs,” Josephina lamented.
The victim was first rushed to Hadiza Hospital in Jetu before being transferred to Irua Teaching Hospital, Edo, where she remains in critical condition.
The motorcycle rider carrying her at the time of the accident is also said to be in a critical state.
Eyewitnesses said the accident happened within the school environment. After the truck was intercepted, it was taken to the police station at Ibie in Auchi.
However, Bodom’s family has accused the police of a cover-up, claiming there has been no update on the driver’s arrest or the progress of the investigation.
“Besides parking the truck in front of the police station, there is no information about the driver, and the police are not telling us anything,” a relative alleged.