In the early, dark hours of a Wednesday morning in Pittsburgh, a city he had called home for 15 years after leaving his native Nigeria, Bajomo Adelani was at work. The 50-year-old man, a jitney driver, was behind the wheel of his green 1992 Acura, navigating the streets to support his family both in the United States and back in Lagos. His shift, which typically ran from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m., took him through various neighborhoods, some with a reputation for being rough. He was aware of the risks but was driven by the need to provide for his fiancée, their young son, and his two daughters, one of whom was in college.
On January 20, 2010, at approximately 2:30 a.m., his work led him to the Fineview neighborhood. As he drove down Belleau Street with a 30-year-old passenger, a minivan blocked their path. Two men emerged from the van and opened fire on Mr. Adelani's vehicle. The barrage of bullets tore through the car, striking both the driver and his passenger. Mr. Adelani was hit in the chest and died at the scene. His passenger sustained gunshot wounds to his arms but survived. Investigators later stated their belief that the passenger had been the intended target of the violent ambush.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Pittsburgh police launched a homicide investigation. They appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the identification and capture of the two gunmen, who had fled in their minivan. The authorities worked to notify Mr. Adelani's mother in Nigeria of her son's tragic death. Despite their efforts and the initial investigation, the men responsible for the death of Bajomo Adelani were not immediately apprehended.
The years that followed did not bring the closure of an arrest to Mr. Adelani's family and loved ones. His death left a void in the lives of his fiancée, with whom he shared a home in Stowe, his young son, and his two daughters. He was remembered as a quiet man who was dedicated to his family, working a difficult and often dangerous job to ensure their well-being. The case of the hardworking jitney driver, who was tragically caught in the crossfire of a conflict that was not his own, remains an unsolved homicide in the city of Pittsburgh. No suspects have been publicly identified or arrested in connection with his murder.
