Following the tragic death of Toba Ajiboye, the Organising Secretary of the Lagos State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), attention has been drawn to the violent history surrounding motor park politics in the Mushin-Fadeyi corridor.
It is an area where competing transport union interests, cult groups, revenue collection and political influence have battled for control over the years.
Although tributes from those who knew Ajiboye have largely presented him in a positive light, a review of events surrounding the area paints a different picture.
Ajiboye’s name in the Fadeyi turf wars
According to The Punch, the Mushin-Fadeyi axis became a major hotspot for violent confrontations over the years, as rival factions within the transport sector fought to establish control over the territory.
Ajiboye’s name emerged on several occasions during investigations into the clashes, with his alleged links to some of the violence reportedly appearing in police investigations, court proceedings and claims made on social media.
One of the most disturbing incidents recorded in the area’s history occurred in 2014, when the severed head of a 28-year-old man, Ibikunle Tunde, was discovered following a cult clash.
The repeated violence that characterised the area created an atmosphere of prolonged fear and uncertainty among residents and communities.
Following Ajiboye’s arrest, members of his group took to the streets to protest his arraignment and the refusal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intervene to secure his release.
During one of the demonstrations, his supporters reportedly engaged in a clash with a rival faction that was said to have been associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the time. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of two people.
Commenting on the assassination, Omotayo Yusuf, a political commentator, said the killing of Ijaya showed the deeper insecurity crisis in Nigeria, as well as the government’s failure to properly regulate the transport union.
His statement reads: “I would say it is the reflection of not just our insecurity, but the volatility of the NURTW that has not been regulated.”
Ajiboye’s Court Cases
Court documents from 2014 indicate that Ajiboye was arraigned alongside Adigun Oriyomi and several other defendants over allegations relating to killings linked to the unrest in Mushin.
One of the charges stated: “That you, Toba Ajiboye, Adigun Oriyomi and others at large, being members of an unlawful society, on February 10, 2014, at Ewenla Street, Mushin, did unlawfully kill one Muninat Agbabiaka.”
Oriyomi, who was facing several murder charges, was eventually convicted only for the death of his friend, Femi Adekeye.
The conviction was based on evidence provided by the victim’s daughter, who had witnessed the incident.
However, the other charges brought against the defendants, including the allegations involving Ajiboye, were eventually dismissed after the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence.
