In the early morning hours of February 15, 2022, a 72-year-old taxi driver named Frederick Emereje was shot and killed in downtown Atlanta. A Nigerian immigrant who came to the United States in the 1970s, he had built a life for himself and his family, working to support them and help relatives back home. On that Tuesday, he was working as a driver for National Cab Company, a job he had held for nearly a decade.
Just before 5 a.m., Emereje was dropping off a passenger at an apartment
complex near Centennial Olympic Park Drive. It is believed that this passenger was the one who shot him. After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene in Emereje's white Toyota taxi van. Officers who responded to a report of a person shot found Emereje with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators quickly began searching for the stolen taxi and the person responsible. Thanks to tips from the community, the abandoned taxi was located a few days later in a downtown parking lot. Evidence recovered from the vehicle was crucial in identifying a suspect.
Within a week of the murder, the Atlanta Police Department announced the arrest of 48-year-old Elibra Allen. Allen was charged with felony murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was subsequently booked into the Fulton County Jail. The investigation suggested that Allen was the fare Emereje was dropping off at the time of the fatal encounter.
