Security Guard Shot for Daring Former Oga on Toll Collection

For daring to question his former boss’s frivolous spending of proceeds from their ‘work,’ a security man is currently recovering at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos after being shot and several bullets extracted from his legs and thighs. Toib Alamu used to collect tolls from shop owners and other traders for a factional leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) identified simply as Toba. When the going was good between master and subject, Alamu was Toba’s most trusted and reliable collector of tolls in an area spanning dozens of streets around Jibowu, Mushin and Fadeyi areas of Lagos State. However, somewhere along the line, Alamu, 32, reportedly fell out with his boss and had to take to working as a security man. It is reported that now as a security guard, part of Alamu’s briefs was to guard dozens of commercial buses parked on a particular stretch of road Because of his new job, a clash was imminent between him and his former boss as the latter was the one said to be in control of the collection of the parking lot tolls before that time. Odd as his job appears, Alamu is also a devout and practising Muslim. On series of occasions in the past, Alamu had allegedly been attacked by agents of his former boss. No matter the seeming atrocities committed in the course of his duties, Alamu was always quick to seek the face of his Creator. Quite unlike his peers, Alamu even always observed the whole 30 days of Ramadan (the Muslim fasting period). But unfortunately, it was during the last Muslim fasting period that Alamu’s perceived enemies chose to strike him rendering him almost crippled now. On Saturday, 13 July, 2013, around 8:50p.m, Alamu was outside the Ansarudeen mosque at Lawani area of Jibowu discussing with one of the elders of the mosque. As a matter of fact, Alamu was said to have been saddled with the task of delivering the Tafsir (sermon) the next day and was seeking knowledge from the cleric. But while he was in discussion with the cleric, a green Toyota Camry car reportedly moved towards where Alamu sat with the elderly cleric. Since he was not stranger to atrocities of cultists and notorious groups, having worked closely with many of them in the past, Alamu sensed danger lurked around. So, he reportedly got up to see where the suspecting car was heading to. Alamu later said he identified one Dauda Adigun, said to be a protégé of his former boss with whom he had been at daggers-drawn. Speaking with Saturday Mirror, Alamu claimed he immediately recognised Adigun in the car. He continued: “When I saw Dauda inside the car, I immediately knew they came for me. So I dashed towards the driver of the car and that was when I saw all of them. They were six in number including the driver all wearing black T-shirts. As I tried to grab the steering from the driver, Dauda brought out a gun shot me in the thighs and legs.” Alamu reportedly fell, but the mob that had gathered prevented the assailants from finishing off their ‘job’. They reportedly sped off in the car leaving a profusely bleeding Alamu on the asphalt. He was eventually rushed to a nearby hospital where he was reportedly given first aid before he was referred to another hospital. In the meantime, the alleged mastermind of the attack, Toba, was reportedly arrested by security operatives last week but was later freed because of what some called “order from above.” Alamu recounted further: “After the gunshots and blood was gushing out of my legs and thighs, I heard one of the occupants in the car saying ‘Dauda why did you come out of the vehicle before you shoot? You know people in the area know you well. Oga did not say you should come down from the car.’” A resident of the area identified as Alhaji Baba Dele confirmed the attack to Saturday Mirror. According to Baba Dele, “We all left the mosque together but Toib stayed behind to see one of the leaders there. Though my house was just 10 blocks away from the mosque, I had not stepped into my compound when I heard gunshots. After coming out of hiding and I headed back to where the sounds came from, it was Toib I saw on the ground in the pool of his own blood.” An inspector at Alade Police Station told Saturday Mirror that Toib and the gang that attacked him had been locked in a fierce battle for the ownership of motor park which had cost a lot of lives in the area. A police source at Panti also confirmed Toba’s arrest but declined to comment on his sudden release.