Lagos Police Launch Massive Dragnet for Hit Squad After Gunmen Riddle Car of NURTW Top Chief ‘Ijaya’ in Deadly Fadeyi Ambush

A heavy security lockdown has been activated across major transit corridors in Lagos after a notorious gangland-style shooting claimed the life of one of the most prominent leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The deceased, Comrade Toba Ajiboye—broadly recognized by his street moniker “Ijaya”—served as the strategic Organising Secretary for the Lagos State Council of the transport union. The fatal security breach unfolded on a Sunday night when a group of heavily armed, unidentified gunmen tracked his movements from a gathering within his childhood community in the Fadeyi axis.

As Ajiboye’s white sedan attempted to connect to the main Ikorodu Road expressway, the attackers aggressively intercepted his vehicle. The hit squad opened fire without warning, unleashing a volley of bullets that shattered the windscreen and left the car’s body completely riddled with entry holes. Images and graphic videos circulating across social media platforms initially sparked hope that the union chieftain had survived the gunfire. However, hospital executives later confirmed that despite intensive emergency surgical operations at St. Nicholas Hospital on Lagos Island, the union leader ultimately died from his severe internal injuries.

The assassination has triggered profound shockwaves throughout the transport administration of the state. In a deeply emotional tribute, the state’s NURTW Chairman, Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle, widely known as “Sego,” described the murder as a heartbreaking blow to his leadership structure. Sego lamented the loss of an incredibly dependable, unyielding associate who served as a foundational pillar for his executive platform, “TeamSego.” Concurrently, the national head of the union body, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as “MC Oluomo,” issued a fierce condemnation of the killing, branding it a barbaric act of lawlessness and demanding immediate judicial closure.

“The loss of Comrade Toba Ajiboye has left our entire structure heartbroken and deeply devastated,” Lagos NURTW Chairman Mustapha Adekunle shared. “He was far more than a standard executive officer; he was a green-light brother, a trusted confidant, and an unwavering anchor for our collective vision. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement, and we urge all our members to remain calm while the authorities finish their work. Justice will be served, but it must be served through the rule of law.”

Given the volatile history of transport union rivalries in Lagos, the shooting immediately sparked immense tension, with businesses rapidly closing down around the Somolu and Fadeyi neighborhoods over fears of an impending street battle. Responding with overwhelming force to forestall a breakdown of public order, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, ordered the immediate deployment of heavily armed tactical formations, anti-cult units, and regular patrol teams to saturate all local garages and flashpoints.

During a high-level emergency stakeholder meeting convened at the State Command Headquarters with executives from the NURTW and the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Commissioner Tijani issued a zero-tolerance warning against any form of street retaliation. The police chief confirmed that an elite intelligence dragnet has been officially set up to hunt down the executioners, warning that any individual or union faction that attempts to exploit the tragedy to ignite a fresh round of violence will face immediate combat containment and swift criminal prosecution.