From Moshood Karim
Grief has engulfed the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, as students prepare for a candlelight procession on Friday, 5 September, in honour of the late Ruth Otabor Bondon, younger sister of Big Brother Naija ‘Level Up’ winner, Phyna, who died after a crash involving a Dangote truck.
The tragic incident occurred on 12 August when Ruth, a fresh graduate of the institution, was struck in Auchi by a truck linked to Dangote companies. She sustained catastrophic injuries that led to the amputation of one leg, with doctors warning that the other was at risk. Despite intensive medical efforts at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, she succumbed to her injuries weeks later.
Eyewitnesses said the truck driver attempted to flee the scene but was chased down and apprehended by a lecturer of the Polytechnic. The brazen attempt to escape has fuelled outrage among students and residents who accuse haulage firms of recklessness on Nigerian roads.
Dangote Cement Plc, in a statement on its official X handle, confirmed that its senior officials and insurance team had promptly visited the accident scene, engaged law enforcement, and met with Ruth’s family at the hospital. But many in Auchi say no corporate response can make up for a life so cruelly cut short.
A notice circulated on social media announced details of the procession:
“Ruth Otabor Bondon Candlelight Procession
Date: Friday 5th September 2025
Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Dress code: All black
Meeting point: Hostel Gate.”
Friends and colleagues of the deceased are expected to gather in their hundreds, dressed in black, carrying candlesticks and her photos, in what promises to be both a solemn tribute and a public outcry against the menace of reckless driving by heavy-duty trucks.
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