The Ondo State Government has launched an investigation to uncover the ownership of the truck involved in the fatal accident that claimed several lives in Akungba-Akoko earlier this week.
The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday, assuring that justice would be pursued to its fullest extent.
Ajulo, who expressed outrage over the tragedy, said the state would prosecute both the driver and the truck’s owners once identified.
He described as “inhuman” the failure of the truck owner to reach out to the bereaved families despite the ongoing controversy over the vehicle’s ownership.
The crash, which occurred on Wednesday along the Owo–Akungba–Ikare Akoko expressway, left ten people dead, including a pregnant woman. The truck, reportedly laden with cement, lost control and rammed into roadside shops near the Adekunle Ajasin University gate.
According to Ajulo, the ongoing investigation is aimed at establishing ownership and accountability before prosecution begins.
He reaffirmed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to road safety, warning that negligence by commercial truck operators would no longer be tolerated.
He said the state government would henceforth hold both truck drivers and their employers vicariously liable for avoidable road deaths, noting that “enough is enough” and that “lives lost through criminal negligence will no longer go unchecked.”
Ajulo also called for a nationwide review of truck operations, particularly in the areas of driver training and compliance with safety regulations.
He urged residents to report reckless driving involving heavy-duty vehicles, assuring that the government remained determined to protect lives and restore sanity on the highways.
He stressed that “the lives of our people are paramount” and that “profit must never come before safety,” while commiserating with the families of the deceased and pledging that justice would be served.
Meanwhile, the Dangote Group, in a statement on Thursday, denied ownership of the truck, clarifying that the vehicle with registration number JJJ 365 XB belonged to an independent logistics company unaffiliated with the conglomerate.
The company stated that verified registration details confirmed that the truck did not belong to the Dangote Group or any of its subsidiaries.