Taxi driver ‘would not have argued’ over a fare

FRIENDS of the taxi driver who died following an assault after picking up a late night passenger have said he would never have put his life in danger by arguing over a fare.

The death of Moses Ayanwole on Wednesday afternoon, two-and-a-half days after he was injured, has left his family and acquaintances devastated and baffled.

Mr Ayanwole, a 41-year-old father of one, was rushed to hospital after collapsing by his taxi in Dublin city centre just after midnight on Monday. Witnesses reported seeing him punched in the head by a man who left the scene.

There was speculation that the Nigerian national, who had been living in Ireland for 12 years, was attacked in a dispute over a fare, but a leader in the church he attended said that was impossible to believe.

Pastor Lawrence Oyetunji knew Mr Ayanwole since he came to Ireland and was contacted by his distraught wife, Olusola, after gardaí arrived at the door of their Clonsilla home to tell her that her husband was in hospital.

“We have so many taxi drivers who are members of our church and every one of them said, if a passenger doesn’t pay, you just let him go,” he said.

“Do not argue with him. Just let it go and move on. So we don’t believe that Moses would argue over a fare. We don’t believe that. He is not that kind of man.

“Moses was a very private person, very peaceful. In that 12 years I never heard of him having a conflict with anybody. He was a very loving husband. Both him and his wife — they are very, very close. It’s a shocking event.”

Gardaí have not yet decided whether to upgrade the inquiry into Mr Ayanwole’s death to a murder investigation. A postmortem examination will help to determine if the punch he received to his head or his subsequent fall was the main contributor to his fatal injuries.

One man has so far been arrested in connection with the incident but he was released without charge and a file is being prepared for the DPP.

A Garda spokesman said detectives were still keen to hear from anyone who was in the vicinity of Pearse St and Erne St around the time of the incident who may be able to help their investigation.

John Usher, president of the Irish Taxi Drivers’ Federation, said the attack was worrying for all taxi drivers, especially at a time when they were struggling like never before to make a living from scarce business.

“There is very seldom a week goes by that there is not some sort of incident involving a taxi driver.

“I think taxi drivers nationwide will fear for their safety after hearing what happened to Moses.”