Lagos Grassroots Icon Baba Alado Dies at 83, MC Oluomo Pays Tribute
Lagos has lost one of its most recognisable grassroots figures. Chief Taoreed Faronbi, popularly known as Baba Alado, died in the early hours of Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the age of 83. His passing was confirmed by his family, and in keeping with Islamic tradition, burial rites were carried out shortly after his death was announced.
The National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, widely known as MC Oluomo, was among the first prominent voices to publicly mourn Faronbi. In a condolence statement, MC Oluomo described the late chief as a man whose name would long be remembered for the contributions he made to both the union and the broader Lagos community. He extended his sympathies to Faronbi’s family, friends, and associates, and offered prayers asking that his shortcomings be forgiven and his good deeds rewarded with the highest paradise.
Faronbi’s influence stretched far beyond the transport sector that made him a household name in Lagos. He was the Olori Ebi, or head, of the Alagbeji Royal Family in Papa Ajao, Mushin, a position that placed him at the centre of traditional leadership in the area. He also held the chieftaincy title of Akinrogun of Isolo Kingdom, further cementing his standing within Lagos’s traditional institutions.
In the commercial sphere, Faronbi was known as the Babaloja of Aswani International Market, a title that put him at the heart of trading activities in one of Lagos’s busiest commercial hubs for many years. Combined with his decades-long involvement in NURTW affairs, this mix of traditional, transport, and business influence made him a uniquely powerful figure in Mushin and its surrounding communities.
News of his death triggered an outpouring of tributes from a broad cross-section of Lagos society. Politicians, transport union leaders, entertainers, traders, and residents of Mushin have all continued to pay their respects, reflecting the wide reach of his decades of grassroots work. His funeral drew family members, friends, community leaders, and other prominent personalities from across the state, including Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, the Executive Chairman of Mushin Local Government, Tunbosun Aruwe, and the Chairman of Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area, Dr Oluseyi Jakande.
Those who knew him have described Faronbi as a man who left a lasting mark across multiple spheres of Lagos life, from transport unionism and traditional rulership to commerce and community leadership. Many mourners noted that his decades of service helped shape the social and economic fabric of Mushin in particular, where his name became synonymous with grassroots authority and mediation.
As tributes continue to pour in, attention is expected to turn to how NURTW and the Mushin community choose to honour Faronbi’s legacy in the days ahead. For now, Lagos mourns the loss of a man who, over more than half a century, became a fixture across the city’s transport, trade, and traditional institutions — a legacy that his family, colleagues, and community say will not soon fade.
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