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Apr
Apr
77-YEAR-OLD NIGERIAN UBER DRIVER FATALLY SHOT IN PHILADELPHIA AMBUSH
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CapitalTimesNews / 1 day
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A 77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver, Olatunji W. Bolaji, was fatally shot in an ambush while attempting to pick up a passenger outside a hookah lounge in Philadelphia. The incident occurred shortly before 2 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15. According to Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small, the victim had arrived outside Byblos Hookah Bar to pick up a rider. As a 22-year-old passenger entered Bolaji’s vehicle, two men emerged from a car parked behind and opened fire on the vehicle. The suspects fired “at least four times,” hitting Bolaji in the head and striking the passenger in the arm, leg, and stomach. Despite his injuries, Bolaji managed to drive away from the scene but crashed shortly afterward. Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, but Bolaji was pronounced dead. He was remembered as a “loving partner and father” to a son. “It appears that right before the shots were fired, there was some sort of physical altercation. It also appears that someone in that vehicle was targeted,” Small said. The passenger, whose name has not been released, remains in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. The Philadelphia Police Department is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. A family friend expressed their heartbreak, saying, “We’re heartbroken and want justice for the man who was senselessly murdered.” Uber issued a statement expressing their condolences and support. “Our hearts break for the driver’s family and loved ones in the wake of this devastating loss,” the statement read. “We’ve reached out to police to offer our support as they work to bring those responsible for this heinous act of violence to justice.”
