Family members, friends, colleagues and supporters on Tuesday gathered in Ketu, Lagos, to bid a final farewell to the late Organising Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Toba Ajiboye, popularly known as Toba Ijaya.
The slain union leader was laid to rest in an emotional ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners, with videos circulating on social media capturing scenes of grief as sympathisers paid their last respects.
Ajiboye died after succumbing to gunshot injuries sustained during an attack by unidentified gunmen in the Fadeyi area of Lagos on Sunday evening.
The Lagos State Police Command has since launched an investigation into the killing and commenced a manhunt for those responsible.
Confirming the incident, the command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, said detectives were working to apprehend the attackers.
“The incident happened on Sunday, and one person died. He is a member of the transport union in Lagos. Investigation has commenced, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the killers,” Adebisi said.
Sources familiar with the incident disclosed that Ajiboye had visited Fadeyi, where he grew up, to see childhood friends before he was attacked while leaving the area.
“He visited the area as he usually did because that was where he grew up. As he was leaving that evening, gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. He was rushed to the hospital, and we believed he was responding to treatment until we were informed that he had died,” a source said.
A member of the union, identified simply as Taofeek, revealed that three other occupants of Ajiboye’s vehicle also sustained gunshot wounds during the attack and remain hospitalised in critical condition.
“There were about three other people in the vehicle. They also sustained gunshot wounds, and doctors are still battling to save their lives,” he said.
Images shared online after the attack showed Ajiboye’s vehicle riddled with bullet holes.
Reacting to the killing, Lagos State NURTW Chairman, Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego, described the deceased as a loyal ally, trusted friend and committed union leader whose dedication to the organisation would be remembered.
“The news of Comrade Toba Ajiboye’s passing has left me deeply saddened. He was more than an ally; he was a dependable friend, a steadfast supporter and a pillar of TeamSego and SegoNation. His loyalty and commitment to the union will never be forgotten,” Sego said in a tribute posted on Facebook.
Ajiboye’s death has continued to generate mixed reactions on social media, with many mourning him as a respected union leader and philanthropist, while others pointed to longstanding controversies associated with transport union politics in Lagos.
Police say investigations are ongoing to determine the motive behind the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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