By Obinna Ejianya (9News Nigeria)
A viral video of an alleged assault on two Nigerian truck drivers by men described as Indian nationals and local hoodlums at the premises of Karma Agric Feeds and Foods Limited along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has sparked outrage and demands for an investigation.
The footage, which was sent to 9News Nigeria and subsequently shared on its social media platforms, was accompanied by allegations that Riliwan Olajide and Taiwo Yinusa were beaten during a confrontation at the company’s premises around Km 12 of the expressway. The initial account described both men as truck drivers and alleged that those involved included Indian nationals said to own the company. Those claims about ownership and the identities of the individuals involved have not been independently confirmed.
At the centre of the confrontation was a dispute over surrendering a truck key. According to the account supplied with the footage, one of the workers protested in Yoruba: “Mi ò lè fi kọ́kọ́rọ́ ọkọ̀ mi sílẹ̀; ẹ̀yin kì í ṣe ẹni tó rà ọkọ̀ náà fún mi!” The statement translates as: “I can’t leave my truck key; you are not the one who bought the truck for me.”
PUNCH, which also reported on the circulating footage, described a man striking a worker with a stick while others restrained another. Its report said demands for the truck keys were met with resistance, followed by attempts to take them by force. The newspaper noted that the circumstances preceding the confrontation remained unclear.
Following its initial social media report, 9News Nigeria made further enquiries into the company’s location and publicly listed management, while seeking its account of the incident.
The company’s official website gives its address as Km 12, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Oluyole Free Trade Zone, Ibadan, Oyo State. This places its published premises in Ibadan, although some accounts circulating with the video describe the incident as occurring in Lagos. The exact location of the recorded confrontation still requires confirmation.
A public company listing identifies Dipak Mirchandani and Rekha Mirchandani as directors of Karma Agric Feeds and Foods Limited. However, the listing indicates that its records were last updated two years ago, and their current appointments have not been confirmed directly with the company.
9News Nigeria attempted to reach the company by telephone to seek its response and speak with Dipak Mirchandani or Rekha Mirchandani, but the call went unanswered. The newsroom was therefore unable to obtain the company’s account for this report.
Meanwhile, the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, AMATO, has demanded a police investigation into the alleged assault.
The association identified Olajide as a truck driver and Yinusa as his assistant, commonly called a motor boy, clarifying the description of both men as drivers in the initial circulating account. According to AMATO’s account reported by JournalNG, the incident occurred on Saturday, October 10, following a disagreement over a request for demurrage compensation—payment associated with delays involving a truck or its cargo.
AMATO said information, photographs and video evidence made available to it indicated that the workers were allegedly assaulted and intimidated by Indian nationals, with the involvement of company staff and security personnel. Its explanation of the underlying dispute remains an account requiring investigation and a response from the company.
In a statement attributed to its National Secretary-General, Sani Mohammed, the association condemned the alleged treatment of the workers, insisting that disagreements over commercial payments could not justify violence or humiliation.
It called on the Assistant Inspector-General of Police at Alagbon and other relevant investigative authorities to conduct an impartial investigation, preserve available evidence, identify everyone involved and ensure accountability where wrongdoing is established. It also urged the company’s management to cooperate and take steps to prevent a recurrence.
The association stressed that its position concerned the alleged actions of the individuals involved and was not directed against Indian nationals or any other nationality as a group.
Although the footage has brought public attention to the alleged assault, questions remain about what happened before the confrontation, why the truck keys were demanded and the roles of those involved. The identities and nationality of all participants, the workers’ injuries and whether a police investigation has commenced have not been independently confirmed by 9News Nigeria.
9News Nigeria is continuing to track the incident and will update its report as accounts become available from the workers, the company and relevant authorities.
