Baba Alado: Rise, power and controversies of Mushin ‘strongman’

Baba Alado: Rise, power and controversies of Mushin ‘strongman’

In the labyrinth of Mushin’s narrow streets, where the air once carried the acrid smell of burnt rubber after gang clashes, the murmur of drug deals and the ever-present threat of sudden violence, one name could command silence: Baba Alado, whose real name was Alhaji Azeez Faronbi.

For decades, he held sway over a territory notorious for its street wars, criminal activities and uneasy relationship with the law.

He was regarded by many as a power broker in the shadows, a man whose word could settle disputes that might otherwise escalate, and an elder whose presence could calm tensions in places where rivalries often boiled over.

When news broke in the early hours of Saturday, September 26, 2026, that Baba Alado had died at 83, it spread quickly through the communities where his name had carried weight for decades.

The man who had lived through political transitions, transport union battles, community feuds and the controversies that often surrounded powerful figures in places like Mushin was gone.

The influential transport union leader, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, captured the moment simply: “Baba Alado was a man who made his mark, and his name will remain remembered by many.”

Mushin Local Government Chairman, Tunbosun Aruwe, described him as a father figure, trusted elder, mentor and political stalwart, while the Baale of Akinwumi, Chief Abdulateef Yahya, remembered a man who was often called upon to settle disputes.

Lagos APC spokesman and former chairman of Mushin Local Government, Seye Oladejo, described him as a community leader and progressive politician committed to peace.

Former chairman of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, Rasaq Ajala, also spoke of a great leader who remained deeply connected to his people.

All of them spoke the language of respect.

But in Mushin, respect for Baba Alado had never been one-dimensional.

 

Alado’s resting place

His remains were buried later that day at his Isheri-Osun residence, in accordance with Islamic rites.

By Friday, the compound had taken on a different character. People came and went, while groups gathered under the shade, but the mood was subdued, heavy with grief.

Family members received visitors as preparations for the eighth-day prayer continued.

The fresh grave sat quietly within a compound that, until recently, had been a meeting point for politicians, transport workers, market leaders, community figures, friends and others seeking the intervention of a man whose name carried considerable weight across parts of Lagos.

Mourners sat in small groups, speaking in subdued voices, while relatives, political associates and community leaders moved around the compound.

Several campaign vehicles bearing the insignia of the All Progressives Congress were parked within sight.

But the bustle could not disguise the absence.

For decades, Baba Alado had been a familiar presence in Mushin, Isolo, the transport sector, markets and Lagos grassroots politics. People came to him for assistance, to settle disputes or simply to seek an audience.

Now, his grave marked the place where the man who had stood at the centre of so many relationships and networks of influence had been laid to rest.

For five years, those close to him had watched him contend with a leg injury that increasingly restricted his movement in the final chapter of his life. Yet, even as his physical presence diminished, he remained connected to the political and community affairs that had defined much of his life.

 

A man of many worlds

For decades, Faronbi occupied several worlds at once. He was a grassroots politician, traditional title holder, land developer, market leader, prominent figure in the National Union of Road Transport Workers, socialite and benefactor.

In Lagos, where politics, transport, markets and community networks often intersect, these roles frequently overlapped.

But his name also surfaced repeatedly in reports of factional clashes and violence in Mushin and adjoining areas, a part of Lagos long associated with street battles, rival groups, drugs and other criminal activities.

Mushin’s politics, markets and transport networks have historically operated in an environment where influence is measured not only by political office but also by the number of people who answer when a powerful man calls.

Faronbi became a force within that landscape.

His reach extended into political circles, transport unions, market networks, traditional institutions and the streets.

To his supporters, he was a benefactor who helped people, settled disputes and stood up for those who sought his assistance. To some of his rivals, however, his name remained associated with old battles over influence, territory and power; contests in which alliances were closely guarded, loyalties remembered and disputes could spill from political meetings into markets and the streets.

Faronbi consistently denied allegations linking him to specific violent incidents.

His death at 83 brought to an end the life of a man whose story, shaped by politics, transport, community influence and controversy, resists a single telling.

 

The man behind the name

Long before Faronbi became Baba Alado, a family story had already marked him out as different.

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The Ajagunna of Isolo Kingdom, Chief Michael Ajayi, recounted that Faronbi was the 13th child of his parents, born after 12 previous children had reportedly died at birth. When he was born, an “ado”, a protective charm, was tied around his neck.

His parents were instructed not to remove it until he was old enough to do so himself.

“He was a strong man from childhood,” Ajayi said, recalling that Faronbi eventually cut the object off himself when he was older, without anything happening to him.

The story became part of local folklore, adding to the aura that would eventually surround a man whose public persona grew far beyond the streets where he was raised.

Beyond the family legend, however, his early years were relatively ordinary. He attended Islamic Model School in Mushin and learnt carpentry while still young.

Around 1970, he became involved in land matters. His younger brother, the Baale of Oke Mushin, Chief Tajudeen Faronbi, recalled that Baba Alado moved into land sales consultancy and trained others in the business.

“He has trained many and made sure that they do not fight or engage in thuggery. He joined the Action Group party in Mushin and represented the youth movement,” Tajudeen said.

It was a quiet beginning to a journey that would take him from carpentry and land deals into the interlocking worlds of grassroots politics, market power, traditional authority and Lagos’ complex social networks.

 

The making of a Mushin power broker

Over the decades, Faronbi accumulated influence in the institutions and networks that shaped Lagos’ grassroots life.

He became a significant figure in the NURTW, particularly in Mushin and surrounding areas.

He rose to become the Babaloja, or market leader, of Aswani International Market. In traditional circles, he was installed in November 2015 as the fifth Olori Ebi, or family head, of the Alagbeji Royal Family in Papa Ajao, Mushin, succeeding Chief Taiwo Apena after a nine-year vacancy.

The selection was agreed upon by the four families that make up the royal house. He also held the title of Akinrogun of Isolo Kingdom.

Politically, he became a prominent APC chieftain. In political circles, some compared his reach with that of the late Ibadan strongman, Lamidi Adedibu, earning him the nickname “Adedibu of Mushin”.

Like the old political bosses whose influence was never confined to formal office, Baba Alado’s reach extended through an intricate web of politicians, transport workers, market leaders, traditional figures, community members and ordinary residents who sought his intervention.

His power rested less on any single title than on the relationships he had built over the years: who knew him, who answered when he called, who turned to him for help and, in a city where political, commercial and street networks often overlapped, who recognised his influence.

That authority was forged over decades in Mushin, where politics, commerce, transport and street life constantly intersected, and where influence was often measured as much by human loyalty as by control of physical space.

His loyalists were commonly referred to as “Alado boys”, a name that appeared repeatedly in accounts of local power struggles and controversies.

A Mushin Local Government retiree and close associate, Rasheed Bakare, described him as a major force in the area’s politics.

“Baba Alado was a very influential man who was loved by many. He was so influential that he was even very close to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He was a member of NURTW and remained an active traditionalist and Muslim until his death. He was an Awori man and an indigene of Lagos State,” he said.

Bakare also described him as a kingmaker.

“His word was law, and everyone feared and loved him at the same time. He was some sort of kingmaker in Mushin Local Government,” he said.

Yet the same associate described Faronbi as a man of peace who “eschewed crime and laziness”.

The contrasting descriptions reflected the different sides of Faronbi’s public image, a man whose growing influence brought him admiration in some quarters and controversy in others.

 

The house where people came for help

At his Isheri-Osun residence, however, those closest to him preferred to remember the man behind the public reputation.

One of his tenants, Mrs Omotayo Gbadebo, said many people who later found success had passed through Faronbi’s hands.

“There are so many people who have risen through his help. Whenever anyone came to him for assistance, he was always willing to help,” she said.

The Family Head of Owobiyi in Isolo, Chief Azeez Onikosi, who said he had known Faronbi for about 30 years, described him as a principled man who did not tolerate dishonesty.

“He built me. He is a very principled man. He hated lies, and once you lied to him, he would never trust you again. When someone does not tolerate nonsense, people will say you are wicked. The good side of him is more than the bad side of him,” Onikosi said.

NURTW Secretary of the Ikeja Unit, Taofeek Adeshina, recalled a man who opened his doors to people regardless of their circumstances.

“You cannot have a problem, whether it is financial or otherwise, and, if you are lucky enough to meet him, he will try to solve it. If it is a hospital issue, he will link you with a hospital where you will not be charged much.

“When I was working as a conductor in Mushin, we sometimes slept inside vehicles. The police would come and arrest us, but Baba would come the next day and secure our release because we were not involved in anything bad. He hated bad habits and cheating.”

 

The leg that slowed him

Faronbi’s family said he had been dealing with health challenges for several years. His younger brother, Tajudeen, said he had been nursing an illness, but noted that a doctor would be better placed to explain the precise cause of his death.

Chief Michael Ajayi told our correspondent that Faronbi had suffered a leg injury about four decades ago and had an iron rod inserted into the limb.

“He had an injury on the leg and they put an iron there, which was there for about 40 years. The leg was the problem; he didn’t have any other problem. So, when old age caught up with him, he could not walk well. His sickness was from the leg and nothing else. The injury gradually became a constraint, and his movement became increasingly limited. In the later years of his life, the family moved him to the Isheri-Osun residence, where he spent his final days.

 

The other side of Baba Alado

For years, Baba Alado’s name was linked to violent conflicts in Mushin. But while allegations followed him through different episodes of unrest, Faronbi repeatedly denied personal involvement in the violence attributed to his name.

In 2011, following a crisis in the Idi-Araba axis, he was linked to a faction of the Oodua Peoples Congress. Faronbi denied the claim, saying he was neither a member of the OPC nor, at the time, of the NURTW. He said he was in Ghana when the incident occurred and that his international passport records could establish his whereabouts.

That same year, the State Security Service arrested him at his Isheri-Osun residence. Security sources told Vanguard Newspaper that five pump-action guns and two packets of live cartridges were recovered during the operation. The sources linked the operation to criminal activities in Mushin, factional clashes involving NURTW groups and an alleged arms build-up ahead of the 2011 elections.

 

Mushin wars

Competing transport, political and street groups had long fought for influence across different parts of Mushin, and Baba Alado’s name featured repeatedly in accounts of those conflicts.

In 2012, Vanguard reported a police account that traced part of the prolonged Mushin crisis to a disagreement between Faronbi and a former NURTW unit chairman, Joel Ajiboye. According to the police source, the dispute was allegedly widened by others who recruited criminals from areas including Akala, Mosholashi and Alasalatu.

The resulting violence was linked to deaths, injuries, kidnappings and destruction of property.

Faronbi repeatedly denied controlling hoodlums or being responsible for violence carried out in his name.

His younger brother, Tajudeen, told Sunday PUNCH that Faronbi was sometimes unaware of incidents carried out by people claiming to be associated with him.

“Some people will go and fight somewhere and they would say they are Baba Alado boys, whereas he would not be aware of such an incident. I have never seen him kill someone before. All I know is that he can defend someone and, in defending, he will tell you to report to the police,” he said.

In January 2016, another clash in Mushin again brought Baba Alado’s name into the conversation.

Six people were injured and several vehicles were burnt when groups identified as the Akeem “No Case” and Ilesanmi boys clashed over control of Isolo bus stop.

Baba Alado was said to have publicly urged the police to arrest those behind the violence.

He rejected the tendency to associate his name with every crisis in Mushin, insisted that his children, whom he said lived abroad, were not involved, and again denied breeding or controlling hoodlums.

 

White Sand and the court case

The most serious legal controversy of his later years came in 2020.

On March 19, 2020, two men, Debo Olohunyo and Chibuzor Daniel, were killed during an attack in the White Sand area of Isheri-Osun. Properties were also destroyed.

Baba Alado and six others were alleged to have been involved in the incident. The Kuje royal family also accused him of sponsoring or supervising the attack as part of a dispute over competing family interests. Faronbi rejected the allegations.

Later that year, the Federal Government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation, filed a three-count charge against Baba Alado and six others at the Federal High Court in Lagos. The charges alleged conspiracy and participation in acts of terrorism in connection with the incident.

 

EndSARS allegation

Still in 2020, another controversy trailed Baba Alado.

During the EndSARS protests in Lagos, armed men attacked protesters in Alausa. Social media reports and allegations linked Baba Alado to the assault.

In a telephone interview with The PUNCH, he denied any involvement.

“They are just telling lies against me. I have no interest in Alausa. The police should shoot anyone that is caught disrupting protests. Why should I attack protesters? What interest do I have in the matter?”

He added that he had not visited Alausa in almost 15 years, spent much of his time in America and suggested that politicians were behind the attacks.

Despite the controversies that repeatedly surrounded his name, Baba Alado remained a prominent figure in Lagos’ social and community life.

He was a familiar face at major gatherings and maintained relationships with prominent Fuji musicians. His name featured in songs by K1 De Ultimate, Saheed Osupa and Alabi Pasuma. At political meetings, traditional ceremonies, transport events and social functions, he was often surrounded by people.

His network cut across age groups, professions and social circles.

That network was still visible after his death, as politicians, transport workers, traditional rulers, traders, socialites and community members filed into his Isheri-Osun residence to pay their last respects. Among the prominent visitors was the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat.

In the condolence register, Hamzat wrote: “Baba sun re o. You came, you saw and you conquered.”

“He was a rock for us”

Deputy Leader of the Faronbi Youth in Isolo, Prince Musa Faronbi, struggled to separate the man he knew from the controversies that so often followed his name.

“We see him as a rock for us. As you know, you cannot be good to everybody. There are some things you will do that will be considered good, while at other times, you may have to take certain decisions and, to some people, you will be considered bad. To me, he left a good legacy for the family.”

Chief Azeez Onikosi also acknowledged the contrasting accounts of Faronbi’s character.

“The good side of him is more than the bad side of him,” he said.

 

Warning before the burial

Even as the family mourned, the authorities moved quickly.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the Area Commander and the Commissioner of Police visited Mushin to meet with youths in Area D.

They reportedly warned against violence and urged the youths not to use Baba Alado’s death to stir rancour or reignite old conflicts in the community.

The intervention underscored the sensitivity surrounding the death of a man whose name had been intertwined with Mushin’s politics, transport networks, community disputes and street conflicts for decades.

For years, he had been a powerful and, at times, divisive presence in that landscape. In death, the networks and relationships he built over decades remain part of the community he left behind.