On Saturday 10 October 2026, Nigerian truck driver Mr Riliwan Olajide and his motor boy Mr Taiwo Yinusa were allegedly subjected to physical assault by Indian nationals together with company staff and local associates at the premises of Karma Agric Feed & Foods Ltd, situated at Km 12 on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway opposite the old Ratcoc Quarry in the Oluyole Free Trade Zone area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The confrontation arose from a disagreement over a request for demurrage compensation, the standard payment associated with delays in loading or unloading cargo.
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According to accounts accompanying video evidence, staff demanded the surrender of the truck keys. Mr Olajide refused, stating in Yoruba that the vehicle had not been purchased for him by those making the demand.
Footage that circulated widely on social media shows a bearded man wearing a turban striking one of the men with a stick while others restrained and kicked a second individual who had been forced to the ground.
Local staff were heard shouting that the drivers were fighting their boss.
The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) later clarified that Mr Olajide was the driver and Mr Yinusa his assistant.
AMATO National Secretary General Mohammed Sani Bala issued a statement condemning the reported treatment. “No commercial disagreement can justify violence, humiliation or the violation of another person’s fundamental human rights,” the association declared. “Disputes over demurrage must be resolved through lawful and peaceful channels, not through force, intimidation or degrading treatment.”
Mr Sani Bala further stated that the association “unequivocally condemns all forms of racial discrimination, xenophobic hostility, intimidation and unlawful violence against Nigerian maritime truck operators” and “will not tolerate any attempt to intimidate or dehumanise” members in the course of their legitimate duties.
AMATO called on the Assistant Inspector-General of Police at Alagbon and other authorities to preserve evidence, identify those involved and ensure accountability.
The body stressed that its position concerned the reported conduct of specific individuals and was not directed at Indian nationals as a group.
Public company records list Dipak Mirchandani and Rekha Mirchandani as directors of Karma Agric Feeds and Foods Limited, an agro-processing firm engaged in animal feed milling and soya bean products.
Journalists who attempted to obtain a response from the company or its listed directors received no reply.
As of 13 October 2026, no official police statement confirming an investigation or any arrests had been released.
The incident has drawn attention to longstanding frictions in Nigeria’s logistics sector, where demurrage claims frequently generate disputes between transporters and cargo owners or receivers.
Truck drivers and motor boys form a vital part of the supply chain that moves goods between ports, factories and markets, yet they often operate with limited formal protection when commercial disagreements escalate.
Section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees the dignity of every person and prohibits torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.
Foreign nationals and companies operating in Nigeria remain fully subject to these protections and to the country’s criminal law.
While the video and photographic evidence have prompted widespread public concern, the precise sequence of events leading to the confrontation, the extent of any injuries and the full identities of those involved remain subject to independent verification.
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Both the truck drivers’ association and independent observers have emphasised that only a thorough and impartial investigation can establish accountability and prevent any recurrence.
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Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
