A somber development has emerged in the tragic accident involving Ruth Otabor, the younger sister of Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Phyna.
Representatives of Dangote Group on Sunday collected the remains of Ruth from the hospital where she passed away.
Ruth had undergone a leg amputation after being hit by a truck linked to the Dangote Group near Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, on Wednesday, and died on Sunday morning.
The family of the deceased has been plunged into mourning following Ruth’s passing. The family announced her death on Sunday through a statement by Eko Solicitors & Advocates, saying Ruth passed on to glory earlier at about 6:30 a.m.
“With a heavy heart, the family regrets to announce the passing on to glory of their daughter, sister, and mother on this 31st Day of August, 2025 at about 06:30Hrs,” the statement read.
In their time of grief, the family has requested privacy to mourn their loved one.
“The family is presently grieving and will appreciate being given a private moment to mourn the departed. The funeral arrangement will be communicated to the public in due course,” the statement added.
A source close to the family revealed that representatives of Dangote Group were immediately contacted after Ruth’s death and subsequently took her body to the mortuary.
“When she died this morning, the representatives of Dangote Group were contacted and notified. They later came and took the corpse to the mortuary. We are expecting that they take over the expenses of her burial, since they had stepped in to take over her medical expenses,” the source who pleaded anonymity said.
Ruth’s relatives described her as a cheerful and affectionate person who will be deeply missed.
Another relative, who did not want to be named due to the mourning period, described Ruth as a cheerful and affectionate person.
“We will miss her. We had thought she would survive after she started recuperating. She was very loving to be with. We used to call her Bobo, which was her nickname. She stayed with her parents at Ketu-Alapere from where they often visited our family house in Omojua Estate, Kosofe,” the relative said.
The circumstances surrounding the accident have been previously reported, with eyewitnesses describing the incident.
Eyewitnesses had reported that the heavy-duty truck, which hit Otabor, crushed her leg before it was eventually chased down and stopped by a bystander. Phyna had demanded that her sister be flown to India for medical treatment.
The Dangote Group has acknowledged the incident and pledged support for the family. The company stated that its team visited the scene, engaged with law enforcement, and met the family at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State. The company pledged full medical support and compensation in line with its welfare policy.
