The assassination of Toba Ajiboye, widely known as Ijaya, has cast fresh light on the violent fate that has claimed the lives of several senior figures within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State over the years. Ajiboye, a top leader within the union, was killed in an attack that drew widespread attention and concern about the persistent cycle of violence linked to transport union politics in Nigeria's commercial capital.
List of Prominent NURTW Leaders Assassinated in Lagos
His death joins a grim catalogue of killings that have targeted influential NURTW members across Lagos. Here is a list of prominent transport association leaders whose lives were cut short by assassins:
1. Alhaji Saula Saka
One of the earliest and most notable cases involved Alhaji Saula Saka, a senior NURTW figure whose assassination was documented by international human rights organisations. Saka's killing highlighted the dangerous environment in which transport union officials operate, and his case drew calls for accountability from civil society groups monitoring politically motivated violence in Nigeria.
2. Ganiyu Ayinla, Known as Pinero
Ganiyu Ayinla, popularly referred to as Pinero, was another NURTW member whose murder sent shockwaves through Lagos. Four individuals were subsequently arrested in connection with his killing, though the case underscored how frequently violence within transport union circles escapes decisive judicial resolution.
3. Azeez Otun, Known as Ashake
Azeez Otun, who went by the name Ashake, was a NURTW chief whose death led to a court remand of suspects and protracted legal proceedings. Despite the arrest of several individuals, the Director of Public Prosecutions later cleared seven of the alleged killers, a development that generated significant public concern about justice for victims of union-related violence in the state.
4. Toba Ajiboye, Known as Ijaya
Toba Ajiboye Ijaya's killing is the most recent in this sequence of high-profile deaths. His assassination was confirmed and reported as a major blow to the union's leadership structure in Lagos, with details of the attack emerging in the immediate aftermath of his death.
NURTW Leaders Assassination: A Recurring Pattern of Violence
The deaths of these four men reflect a recurring pattern in which senior NURTW officials in Lagos have been targeted for assassination, with cases resulting in arrests that do not always lead to convictions. The transport union sector in Lagos has long been associated with fierce competition over motor park control and political influence, dynamics that observers say continue to fuel deadly confrontations among rival factions.
MC Oluomo Returns as NURTW Chairman
In other news, Legit.ng earlier reported that members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers re-elected Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, for a second term in office as Lagos State chairman. The acting NURTW chairman, MC Oluomo Akinsanya, and 30 other executive members were elected unopposed during the election.
