Ejiofor’s damaged car
‘Justice for the Powerful?’ Nigerian Author Accuses SEEPCO of Abandoning Family After CNG Truck Crash
By Raphael Ekpang
Abuja (Core Reporters) — A Nigerian author and father of three, Tochi Maduba Ejiofor, has accused Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Ltd (SEEPCO) of abandoning his family after a CNG truck allegedly belonging to the company crashed into their vehicle, leaving them fighting for their lives.
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Security nen at the scene of the accident
Ejiofor, in a press statement, appealed for urgent intervention and redress following the August 1, 2026 crash, which occurred while he, his wife and their three children were returning to Abuja from Anambra State after attending the burial of his father-in-law.
According to him, the family was waiting at an Army checkpoint in Kogi State when a CNG truck with registration number FZE-431IA allegedly belonging to SEEPCO rammed into the rear of their Honda Accord 2018 model.
He said the impact pushed the vehicle into the bush and left the entire family trapped inside the wreckage.
“I am Tochi Maduba Ejiofor, a father, a husband, an author, and a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria,” he said, describing his appeal as a fight for the dignity, safety and survival of his family.
Ejiofor said it was strangers at the scene who eventually rescued him, his wife and their three children from the mangled vehicle.
He further alleged that some of the family’s belongings, including a laptop, phones, cash and other personal effects, were either destroyed or stolen at the scene.
According to him, he personally bore the cost of towing the wrecked vehicle, emergency medical treatment and other expenses arising from the accident, while members of his family have continued to receive medical attention weeks after the crash.
Ejiofor’s concerns also extend to the handling of the truck and its driver after the crash.
He alleged that while he was receiving treatment, SEEPCO secured the release of the truck and its driver from Orakam Police Station without his knowledge or consent.
He said his damaged vehicle, however, remained impounded at the station.
“Justice, it seems, moves swiftly for the powerful and not at all for the wounded,” he stated.
The author said he had instructed his lawyer to demand explanations from the police over the circumstances surrounding the alleged release of the truck and driver.
He also claimed that representatives of the company admitted liability shortly after the incident, alleging that the driver had been reckless and was at fault.
However, Ejiofor said subsequent efforts to secure compensation for his vehicle, medical expenses and other costs arising from the crash had yielded no satisfactory resolution.
‘I Will Pursue Justice Through Lawful Channels’
Ejiofor appealed directly to the directors of Sterling Global Nigeria Ltd to intervene in the matter, saying they might not have been fully briefed about the circumstances surrounding the crash and its aftermath.
He called on the company’s leadership to replace his destroyed vehicle, restore his family’s damaged or lost property and settle the incidental expenses arising from the accident.
He warned that if his appeal was ignored, he would pursue redress through every lawful channel available to him.
“I will not go and die. I will not fade quietly into the long list of ordinary Nigerians whose suffering is dismissed as the cost of doing business by foreign multinational companies,” he said.
Ejiofor said his family had nearly lost their lives in the crash and that he would not allow their dignity to be taken from them in the aftermath.
“I am prepared to pursue justice through every lawful channel available to me, for as long as it takes, whatever the cost,” he stated.
The appeal comes amid the family’s continuing search for compensation and accountability over the August 1 crash.
Core Reporters attempts to get the response from SEEPCO’s on the allegations against its employees were not fruitful.
