The death of Ruth Otabor, younger sister of Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has triggered widespread grief and outrage, with celebrities, activists, and Nigerians demanding justice and accountability.
Ruth, a young mother and recent graduate, died in the early hours of Sunday, weeks after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a truck accident involving a vehicle reportedly linked to the Dangote Group near Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State.
The tragic chain of events began on August 13, when a Dangote truck struck Ruth, crushing her leg before the vehicle was stopped by a bystander.
She was rushed to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, where doctors amputated her left leg. For 19 days, she battled complications, with her family, led by Phyna, making public appeals for urgent overseas medical treatment, insisting her survival depended on advanced specialist care.
The Dangote Group stated on August 16, pledging “comprehensive medical care, full support, and appropriate compensation.”
The company later expressed readiness to sponsor Ruth’s transfer abroad once she was cleared to travel. However, the process dragged on without resolution until her death.
The Otabor family’s legal representatives, Eko Solicitors & Advocates, confirmed her passing in a statement, describing it as “devastating” and requesting privacy as the family mourns.
Following these developments, a few days ago, Phyna was reported to have taken to social media to accuse the Dangote Group of attempting to shield those responsible for the accident.
“Dangote is gambling with my sister’s life. Her lungs, bladder, and reproductive organs are gone. Our agreement was that my sister should be taken to Lagoon Hospital in Lagos so they could stabilise her before flying her out for medical treatment,” she said.
“Now that she is at Lagoon, Dangote Group is saying they need a statement from the hospital confirming they can’t handle her case and that she’s fit to travel. If it were Dangote’s child in Ruth’s condition, would he not fly her out?” she wrote.
The tragedy has since sparked a wave of national debate on road safety, corporate responsibility, and Nigeria’s weak healthcare system. Celebrities and activists alike have pointed to delays, systemic failures, and a lack of empathy as contributing factors that may have cost Ruth her life.
Actress Kate Henshaw wrote: “Ehhh, God. May God comfort your family at this difficult time.” Fellow reality star Wanni lamented, “Ruth went through too much pain. May her soul rest in peace.”
Mercy Eke questioned whether compassion from the Dangote Group might have saved her, adding, “Had Dangote Group acted swiftly with compassion, who knows what could have been?”
Celebrity stylist Toyin Lawani urged Phyna to mute “insensitive opinions” and remain strong.
Broadcaster Do2dtun berated the Dangote Group for lacking empathy, saying, “Show up, show empathy; start fixing the problem even if it is ‘eye service.’”
Prominent voices in civil society have also weighed in. Activist Omoyele Sowore described Ruth’s death as avoidable, citing poor driver training, unsafe roads, and systemic healthcare lapses, adding, “This death was not inevitable… another young life wasted, another family left grieving.”
Social critic Verydarkman (Martins Vincent Otse) accused both the Dangote Group and Nigerian authorities of negligence, condemning the silence that surrounded Ruth’s 19 days in hospital and blasting the “hypocrisy” of public outrage only after her death.
