Toba Ijaya: Major Street Fights, Court Cases, Slain NURTW Chieftain Were Mentioned
- The assassination of Toba Ajiboye, Lagos NURTW Organising Secretary, has revived questions about the violent world of motor park politics in Mushin-Fadeyi
- Court records show Ajiboye was arraigned in 2014 alongside others over alleged killings connected to violence in Mushin
- Ajiboye's name repeatedly appeared in police investigations, public allegations, and social media claims tied to the Fadeyi turf wars
The death of Toba Ajiboye, the Organising Secretary of the Lagos State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), has reignited debate about the violent underbelly of motor park politics in the Mushin-Fadeyi corridor, where transport union interests, cult rivalries, toll collection and political influence have long competed for dominance.
While tributes from allies paint Ajiboye in a favourable light, a closer look at the record tells a more complicated story.
Source: Instagram
Ajiboye's name in the Fadeyi turf wars
According to The Punch, for years, the Mushin-Fadeyi axis served as a flashpoint for deadly clashes between rival factions fighting for territorial control within the transport sector. Ajiboye's name surfaced repeatedly in those conflicts, appearing in police investigations, court proceedings, and social media allegations linking him to some of the violence in the area.
Among the most troubling incidents in the area's history was the discovery of the severed head of a 28-year-old man, Ibikunle Tunde, during a cult clash in 2014. The recurring nature of these clashes left communities in a prolonged state of fear and instability.
When Ajiboye was arrested, members of his group organised protests against his arraignment and the refusal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure his release. During one of those protests, his supporters clashed with a rival faction said to be aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the time. Two people were killed in that confrontation.
Ajiboye in court
Court records from 2014 show that Ajiboye was arraigned alongside Adigun Oriyomi and other defendants over their alleged roles in killings connected to the Mushin unrest. 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 faced multiple murder charges, was ultimately convicted only in connection with the killing of his friend, Femi Adekeye. That conviction rested on testimony from the victim's daughter, who witnessed the incident. The remaining charges against the defendants, including those involving Ajiboye, collapsed due to insufficient evidence.
Ajiboye's assassination has now brought fresh scrutiny to that era, with questions resurfacing about the alleged betrayal that led to his killing and the enduring grip of violence on motor park politics in Lagos.
Source: Twitter
Names of suspects identified in Toba Ijaya's killings
Legit.ng earlier reported that a bricklayer identified as Oke allegedly tracked the movements of slain Lagos NURTW Organising Secretary Toba Ajiboye before gunmen ambushed him.
Sources disclosed that Oke sent photos of Ajiboye's vehicle and a voice note to the suspected hitmen moments before the attack on Ikorodu Road.
Detectives later arrested Oke and his wife, while two other identified suspects linked to the plot have reportedly fled Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
