A 77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver 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, 16 April, 2025.
According to CBS News, the victim, Olatunji W. Bolaji of Norristown, Pennsylvania, 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, Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small told the outlet.
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.
The passenger, whose name has not been released, remains in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, NBC10 Philadelphia reports.
Small added that there had been “a physical altercation” involving the passenger and the suspects prior to the shooting.
“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,” he said.
Police say the suspects fled the scene in a Jeep Grand Cherokee with Massachusetts license plates. As the investigation continues, the Philadelphia Police Department is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
A family friend told NBC10 Philadelphia that they were “heartbroken” and wanted “justice for the man who was senselessly murdered.”
Uber issued a statement to CBS News Philadelphia expressing their condolences and support.
