Jude Egbas

<h1>The Police in New York believe that Fahim Saleh who was the CEO of ride- hailing motorcycle startup, Gokada, was murdered by an assassin in a “financially motivated” operation.</h1>

<p>Saleh's <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/ceo-of-gokada-fahim-saleh-found-dead-and-dismembered-in-his-new-york-city-apartment/5cz84w1">decapitated and dismembered body</a> was found in an apartment in a luxury condominium building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side on Tuesday, July 14.</p>

<p>An electrical saw was found plugged to an outlet on the crime scene. </p>

<p><strong><em>Daily Mail </em></strong>reports that the techpreneur was killed by a professional who rode with him up in the elevator then got out when it opened directly onto Saleh's apartment. </p>

<p>The killer, dressed in a mask, gloves and hat and wearing what police sources described as a 'ninja outfit', had a suitcase with him--presumably to remove his remains when he had finished the job.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police sources in New York say Saleh was once sued by a former prison guard turned criminal who was jailed for using his app <strong><em>PrankDial </em></strong>to secretly record and listen to employees' phone calls. </p>

<p>The app allowed<strong> Kirk Eady,</strong> the former deputy director of Hudson County Correctional Facility, place a call between two employees without them knowing he was behind it, then listen to whatever they said.&nbsp;</p>

Fahim Saleh founded Gokada on his adventure in Lagos, Nigeria (Instagram/Fahim Saleh)

<p>He listened to their complaints about him and about their jobs then retaliated against them in the workplace, according to prosecutors. </p>

<p>Eady who was jailed for 15 months, sued Saleh for fraud in 2017, claiming the app made him think what he was doing was legal.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><em>New York Daily News</em></strong> quotes the police source as saying that the killer <em>"used a stun gun to incapacitate Saleh before murdering him.</em></p>

<p><em>“He was dressed like a ninja, full out, so you can’t even see his face. He clearly knew what he was doing. We think his intent was to get rid of the body parts and go back and clean it up and make it look like nothing happened. He left before he finished the job.”</em></p>

<p>According to the<strong><em> New York Times,</em></strong> friends of Saleh, 33, describe him <em>"as an ambitious man who ran every morning, kept a busy schedule of meetings and often traveled to Nigeria on business."</em></p>

Fahim Saleh founded Gokada in Lagos 2 years ago

<p>He was a tech gadget collector who lived alone with a small dog named <strong>Laila.</strong></p>

<p>Laila was found alive in the apartment after the murder. </p>

<p>Saleh was born in Saudi Arabia to Bangladeshi immigrants. He moved with his family quite a bit before settling in Rochester, N.Y., and, later, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.</p>

<p>He learned to code from an early age and began developing apps as a teenager.</p>

<p>After graduating from Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., he found early success with PrankDial, an app he invented to make prank phone calls.</p>

Fahim Saleh was found dead in his apartment on Tuesday (Instagram/Fahim Saleh)

There is a possibility that the homicide was commissioned to settle financial scores.

Police say Gokada CEO Saleh's murder was financially motivated

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Steve Dede

<h1>The Nigerian tech community has been thrown into mourning following the gruesome death of Fahim Saleh, a venture capitalist and founder of former bike-hailing app Gokada.</h1>

<p><a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/ceo-of-gokada-fahim-saleh-found-dead-and-dismembered-in-his-new-york-city-apartment/5cz84w1">Saleh was found dead in his New York City apartment</a> on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, with his body headless and dismembered.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News of his death sent shock waves all through the Nigerian community who considered the 33-year-old part of their own.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With Gokada, Saleh pioneered bike-hailing service in Lagos when he launched the app in 2017 which later became a logistics company following the government’s ban on passenger motorcycle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement about the death of its CEO, Gokada described the death as ‘sudden and tragic loss’.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“<em>We are deeply saddened to inform you about the sudden and tragic loss of our founder and CEO, Fahim Saleh. Fahim was a great leader, inspiration and positive light for all of us</em>,” Gokada said.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We are deeply saddened to inform you about the sudden and tragic loss of our founder and CEO, Fahim Saleh. Fahim was a great leader, inspiration and positive light for all of us.</p>&mdash; Gokada (@gokadang) <a href="https://twitter.com/gokadang/status/1283314780548165632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>“<em>Our hearts go out to his friends, family and all those feeling the pain and heartbreak we are currently experiencing, here at Gokada.</em></p>

<p><em>“Fahim's vision and belief in us will be with us forever, and we will miss him dearly. Thank you for understanding as we get through this.</em></p>

<p><em>“All updates and changes will be communicated with you, as it unfolds. Forever in our hearts.</em>”</p>

<p>Entrepreneur Deji Oduntan, who co-founded Gokada with Fahim, said he is 'utterly shocked and deeply saddened by the news'.</p>

<p>"<em>Fahim was passionate about building the Nigerian Startup Ecosystem and definitely left an indelible mark in it," </em>Oduntan said with a <strong>Linkedin </strong>post.</p>

<p><em>"His constant drive and commitment were truly an inspiration to me during the time we spent building Gokada.</em></p>

<p><em>"My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. May God comfort them in this difficult time and may his soul Rest In Peace</em>."</p>

<p>Nigerian entrepreneur and co-founder of Andela <strong>Iyinoluwa Aboyeji</strong> expressed his shock as he paid tribute to Fahim whom he described as ‘one of us’.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>"I’m still in shock about the murder of my brother and fellow entrepreneur Fahim Saleh</em>,” Aboyeji who also co-founded fintech company <strong>Flutterwave </strong>wrote on <strong>Twitter</strong>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“<em>As far as the Nigerian tech ecosystem is concerned, Fahim was one of us and was loved by us.</em></p>

<p><em>“He was a fearless entrepreneur who showed us opportunities to create jobs we overlooked in our own backyard.</em></p>

<p>“<em>He lived out his incredibly high standards and his deep passion for building a business with impact by providing economic opportunity for thousands of people in the mobility space across multiple emerging markets.</em></p>

<p><em>“We will miss him and we trust the US authorities to ensure his murderers are brought to justice soon</em>.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Tech investor <strong>Osaretin Asemota</strong> also took to Twitter to react to news of Fahim’s killing and described it as ‘scary’.</p>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am wondering if this is a New York problem, Nigeria problem, or China problem. It definitely was a money problem. This is sad and very scary. <a href="https://t.co/s49ScLJzj2">https://t.co/s49ScLJzj2</a></p>&mdash; Osaretin Victor Asemota (@asemota) <a href="https://twitter.com/asemota/status/1283310440248942592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This last video from Fahim Saleh, CEO of Gokada - Passionate entrepreneur. A young man living the life &amp; full of promise. Who could he have engaged that is so evil to cut him to pieces?<br><br>“We have a torso, a head that’s been removed, arms, &amp; legs”. Tragic<br> <a href="https://t.co/2ZyWEpJOwD">pic.twitter.com/2ZyWEpJOwD</a></p>&mdash; Ayò-Bánkólé Akíntújoyè (@AyoBankole) <a href="https://twitter.com/AyoBankole/status/1283284856777170944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is the remains of Fahim Saleh. I can’t stop thinking about the fact that he was just 33years old. My exact age mate. And just a few weeks ago, tweeted about feeling positive for 2020. We are all body bags moving around. No one knows who is next.<br> <a href="https://t.co/oVe6CY0SAo">pic.twitter.com/oVe6CY0SAo</a></p>&mdash; Ayò-Bánkólé Akíntújoyè (@AyoBankole) <a href="https://twitter.com/AyoBankole/status/1283408428094939138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic loss of Fahim Saleh, CEO of Gokada &amp; a friend of our business<br><br>Our prayers &amp; thoughts go out to his friends, family &amp; the Gokada team. He was absolutely brilliant &amp; saw a lot of potential in using tech to create jobs &amp; livelihood <a href="https://t.co/PUpvIJQMwn">pic.twitter.com/PUpvIJQMwn</a></p>&mdash; Lagos Boats (@lagosboats) <a href="https://twitter.com/lagosboats/status/1283435817306914816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We at Gokada are shocked and saddened to hear that Fahim Saleh, our founder and CEO, passed away under tragic circumstances in New York earlier this week. <a href="https://t.co/LcsAqxlfOR">pic.twitter.com/LcsAqxlfOR</a></p>&mdash; Gokada (@gokadang) <a href="https://twitter.com/gokadang/status/1283459998157115393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rest in peace Tolulope Arotile, and Fahim Saleh. I pray God gives your families and friends the courage to bear the loss.</p>&mdash; Dr Dípò Awójídé (@OgbeniDipo) <a href="https://twitter.com/OgbeniDipo/status/1283315167649046528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Couldn&#39;t sleep well last night cos of a sad news of a colleague&#39;s death. Now I&#39;m waking up to the news of Fahim Saleh&#39;s murder, Gokada&#39;s CEO and death of Tolu Arotile, Nigeria’s first and only female combat Helicopter Pilot. 💔<br><br>2020 is such a tough year !!!</p>&mdash; Slimfit (@iSlimfit) <a href="https://twitter.com/iSlimfit/status/1283312314574409733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fahim Saleh had a thing for ride sharing companies; CEO of Gokada, co-founder of Pathao - biggest in Bangladesh valued at $100m and recently invested in Colombia’s largest motorcycle ride sharing company, Picap. <br><br>He was found in his $2.25m NYC apartment brutally murdered. Sad. <a href="https://t.co/lokvXMlfNU">pic.twitter.com/lokvXMlfNU</a></p>&mdash; E (@iamOkon) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamOkon/status/1283294209252958208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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How the tech community reacted to the death of the 33-year-old tech investor.

‘Fahim Saleh was one of us and was loved by us,’ Nigerian tech community mourns death of Gokada founder

<h1>Tech entrepreneur Fahim Saleh, who is the CEO of former bike-hailing app Gokada, was on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, found dead and dismembered in his New York apartment.&nbsp;</h1>

<p>Saleh’s body was found headless and dismembered inside his luxury Lower East Side apartment which he bought in 2019.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The body of the 33-year-old was discovered by his sister who became worried after not hearing from him in a day.&nbsp;</p>

Fahim Saleh bought the apartment in 2019 and often showed it off on his Instagram (Instagram/Fahim Saleh)

<p>She visited and found him headless while his body had been cut up and sorted into different plastic bags. A power saw which was still plugged in was also found in the apartment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to several reports, police believe they have surveillance footage of the suspect entering the building and then using the elevator.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The footage is said to show the suspect in a glove and a mask covering his face sharing the elevator with Saleh up to the seventh floor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the door of the elevator opened directly into Saleh’s apartment, he was seen to fall to the floor immediately from a possible gunshot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police, reports say, believe the murder was carried out by a professional because of how the attack happened.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"<em>We have a torso, a head that's been removed, arms, and legs. Everything is still on the scene. We don't have a motive</em>," New York Police Department spokesman <strong>Sgt. Carlos Nieves</strong> said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saleh is well known in Lagos, Nigeria where he helped launch Gokada, the former bike hailing company that has turned into delivery services <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/lagos-task-force-impounds-gokada-motorcycles-for-plying-restricted-routes/vswfjem">following the government's ban on passenger motorcycles</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before his investment in Nigeria, he had found success with a logistic company called <strong>Pathao </strong>in Bangladesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Just like Gokada, Pathao also started as a bike hailing service before it pivoted into a logistic company.</p>

<p>It was with his experience with Pathao in Bangladesh that Saleh went on the bike hailing adventure in Nigeria called Gokada.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“<em>I had some money so I decided to go to Nigeria and try it out</em>,” he once told <strong><em>Tech Cabal.</em></strong></p>

<p><em>“I wanted to see if there was a future in motorcycle ride-sharing transport in Lagos</em>.”</p>

<p>Gokada was a success in the early stages. The company raised $10.6 million in funding after four rounds and was on track to break even by January 2020 before the government ban.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following an attempt to appeal to the government about the ban, Saleh was criticised for the way he portrayed his bikers in a video.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His murder has dominated the news cycle in New York City. ‘CUT-UP BODY FOUND IN $2M APT’ the <strong>New York Daily News</strong> splashed on their front cover of Wednesday, July, 15.</p>

Fahim Saleh's murder is on the front cover of New York Daily News (Daily News)

<p>According to several reports, he had last been seen on Monday afternoon walking into his building's elevator. The <strong><em>New York Times</em></strong> reported that there was little blood found on the scene of the murder as some effort had been made to clear up the evidence.&nbsp;</p>

Fahim Saleh is best known in Nigeria for his work as the CEO of Gokada.

CEO of Gokada, Fahim Saleh found dead and dismembered in his New York City apartment

Goodness Adaoyichie

<p>The restriction notice issued to commercial motorcycle (popularly known as Okada) operators by the Lagos State Government has got most Nigerians talking.</p>

<h1>On Monday, January 27, 2020, the Lagos State Government announced a ban on the activities of commercial motorcycles and tricycles (Keke Napep) in some Local Government Areas like Apapa, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Eti Osa, Lagos Island, Ikeja effective from February 1, 2020.</h1>

<p><a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/sanwo-olu-bans-okada-keke-napep-in-lagos/hky8x6l" rel="noopener noreferrer">This also affects</a> Gokada, Oride and other ride hailing companies.</p>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">UPDATE: Lagos State Government has also banned Commercial Motorcycles (Okada) and Keke on various bridges and highways: <br><br>HIGHWAYS:<br>1. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway<br>2. Apapa-Oshodi Expressway<br>3. Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForAGreaterLagos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForAGreaterLagos</a> <a href="https://t.co/sle6FfXmpb">pic.twitter.com/sle6FfXmpb</a></p>&mdash; Jubril A. Gawat (@Mr_JAGs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mr_JAGs/status/1221842681627906050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>While some Nigerians have hailed the Babajide Sanwo-olu led government for the ban on commercial motorcycles, others have described the move as poorly thought out considering the fact that the current administration has done very little to address the city's decade-long traffic congestion problem.</p>

<p>Here are some reactions from Nigerians on Twitter:</p>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This sudden blanket ban on Opay, Gokada, Okada &amp; Keke Marwa in several LGs in Lagos by the state Govt is bad for all Lagosians<br><br>Policy summersaults have always been a huge problem that scares off foreign investors from Nigeria, while at the same time destroying local ones</p>&mdash; The OBIdient Seeker (@The_Seeker76) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_Seeker76/status/1221875747469647873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">(Lagos)<br><br>Before Okada &amp; Keke ban: Bro, I still dey mainland, I&#39;ll take OPay or GoKada and meet you on the Island in 2 to 3 hours<br><br>After Keke and Okada ban: I just dey board bus, I&#39;ll meet you on the Island in 2 to 3 walking days</p>&mdash; Betway Nigeria (@BetwayNigeria) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetwayNigeria/status/1221891433780609025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A lot Lagosians depend on okada and keke to get to their destinations,Except Lagos state Government has put in place measures to commute Lagosians that they have not told Us about. Also,It would hit a lot families hard(bread winner).Let’s  watch and see their alternative plans.</p>&mdash; Timi Dakolo (@timidakolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/timidakolo/status/1221854779233705986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">All of you screaming people are ripped of their jobs as okada riders in Lagos, lemme ask you, why haven&#39;t you advise that your jobless brother, uncle or husband to start an okada or why haven&#39;t you gotten a Bajaj for them, sentiments can&#39;t build a nation. We just have to let go.</p>&mdash; sαℓмαη سلمان‎ ∂υкε 📸 (@SalmanDuke) <a href="https://twitter.com/SalmanDuke/status/1222064200270450689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Banning of Okada and tricycles in Lagos is the real example of how Government policies can affect businesses. What happens to people that invested in Opay, Gokada, etc with their cooperative loans or savings hoping to make back the money with profit?</p>&mdash; Nnamdi Onu (@MaziNnamdiOnu) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaziNnamdiOnu/status/1221852459326492674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Governor Nasir El-Rufai implemented a similar policy in Abuja while he was the FCT Minister in 2004.</p>

Nigerians react to Lagos govt ban on okada, Keke Napep [Twitter]

Nigerians react to Okada, Keke Napep 'ban' in Lagos

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