Gunmen kill Lagos NURTW organising secretary in Ikorodu Road attack
Gunmen have killed Toba Ajiboye, the organising secretary of the NURTW Lagos State Council, after intercepting his vehicle and opening fire on Ikorodu Road.
Gunmen have killed the Organising Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Council, Toba Ajiboye, popularly known as Ijaya. Ajiboye was reportedly attacked on Sunday night while returning home from his childhood neighbourhood in Fadeyi.
According to accounts of the incident, the gunmen intercepted his vehicle around the Ikorodu Road axis and opened fire, leaving his vehicle riddled with bullets. Photos and videos circulating on social media after the attack showed a white vehicle with multiple bullet holes on its windscreen and body.
Initial reports indicated that Ajiboye and other occupants of the vehicle survived the attack after sustaining gunshot wounds. However, subsequent reports confirmed that the union official later died from his injuries. The circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear, while the identities of the assailants have yet to be established.
Reacting to the killing, the Chairman of the NURTW Lagos State Council, Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego, described Ajiboye as a loyal ally, a trusted friend, and a committed union leader. In a tribute shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Adekunle stressed that he was devastated by the loss. “The news of the sudden passing of Comrade Toba Ajiboye has left me deeply saddened and heartbroken. It is difficult to come to terms with the loss of such a loyal, dependable and committed ally,” he wrote. Describing the deceased as a pillar of both the union and his political structure, Adekunle noted that Ajiboye’s years of service and loyalty would not be forgotten.
The killing comes amid renewed attention on the activities of transport unions in Lagos, where the NURTW remains one of the state’s most influential transport organisations, with members operating across motor parks and major commercial transport routes. Over the years, the union has experienced leadership disputes and occasional violent clashes linked to control of transport operations.
This echoes the 2010s violent clashes between transport unions in Lagos, which have claimed several lives. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: violence over control of transport operations.
The winners: none. The losers: the family of Toba Ajiboye; the NURTW, which has lost a key official; and the Lagos transport sector, which faces renewed instability.
Bottom Line: A senior NURTW official has been killed in Lagos. The motive is unclear. The pattern is familiar. In Lagos, transport is business. And business can be deadly.