APC Chairmanship Aspirant Killed In Lagos, Four Years After Surviving Assassination Attempt

Unknown attackers have killed a politician, Oluwatosin Onamade, in the Ijede area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Onamade, who was contesting for the chairmanship of Ijede Local Council Development Area under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was brutally murdered on Saturday, March 8, 2025.

The politician was shot and hacked to death in front of his home.

His grieving brother, Oluwafemi Onamade, revealed that the killers had been stalking him for some time.

According to him, they attacked around 9 p.m., shooting at him. When the bullets didn’t immediately take effect, they used machetes to strike his head and face.

“It happened around 9 pm on Saturday. They were two gunmen. They were wearing black outfits and no one could recognise them.

“His aide said he could not wait when he heard gunshots. They shot at him and macheted him in front of his house.

“It happened at his house in Ijede, Oluwatosin Onamade Street. The street is named after him.

“They shot him. When the bullets did not penetrate in time, they used machetes on his head and face,” he said.

Femi believes his brother was targeted due to his strong political influence and growing support base.

“They know he had an upper hand and many followers,” he added.

He recalled that Onamade had survived a similar assassination attempt in 2021 when some of the attackers from that incident were arrested but had yet to face judgment.

“An attack had been made in 2021 and some of the culprits are still in prison but judgment has not been made yet,” Femi said.

During a 2021 interview, the late politician revealed how he had previously escaped an assassination attempt, during which one of his staff members, Ifeanyi Godfrey, was killed.

According to him, the attackers had shot and butchered Godfrey before dumping his body in an empty coffin at his workplace, a funeral home.

Late Onamade said, “The day the incident occurred was Friday, April 16, 2021. But the Sunday (April 11) before that day, somebody called me (on the phone) to say they were coming to destroy the APC leadership meeting which usually held in my house. I said, ‘From who?’ The person told me it was from ‘the top,’ sponsored by a leader in the LGA and I said, ‘No problem. If that is the case, I have to hire some military men and other security officers to secure the entrance of my house.

“On that day, when they (the assailants) couldn’t gain access to my compound, they went ahead to destroy all the (campaign) banners I had put up in the community. They went to the party secretariat in Ijede LCDA and maliciously destroyed the big box banner that I had erected in that place.

“They k!lled one of my staff members, Mr Ifeanyi Godfrey, who was also an executive member on my campaign committee. They butchered him, shot him in the head and threw his body into an empty coffin, where he worked in a funeral home.

“I was at the back (of the building). A well-known gang member shot at me but I dodged and hid myself. They were shouting, ‘This man is escaping again; we are going to find him and k!ll him.’ It was so barbaric; it was something I could never have imagined.

“My brother, Oluwafemi, who was in the second office, resisted their attempts to get in, and they left. Once they left, I came out to examine the damage. I started calling the police, but no policeman showed up, even though they were not far from my location.

“Then, the thugs came back, and immediately they saw me, they said, ‘So, he was inside.’ They then forced their way in. In the process, they began to hack my brother with a machete. They even wanted to cut his hand off.” 

A close friend of the deceased, speaking anonymously, expressed sorrow, saying, “they finally got him,” and urged authorities to ensure justice.

“They have finally taken him out. He was a strong contender. Situations like that have been rampant in Ijede and call for serious attention from authorities,” the friend said.

Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, stating that an investigation is underway.

KanyiDaily recalls that Nigerians recently demanded justice for Idowu Christianah, a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), who was allegedly killed by Ayomide Adeleye.