Fahim Saleh, the founder of motorcycle-hailing app, Gokada, has been found dead in his New York apartment by operatives of the New York Police Department- NYPD. The 33 year old’s body was dismembered with his head chopped off, allegedly with an electric saw.
Gokada had a rough time in Lagos at the beginning of 2020 as the state government banned commercial motorcycles in several parts of the metropolis, forcing the firm to lay off its staff and suspend business operations.
Officials of the NYPD say they found an electric saw next to the remains of the millionaire tech CEO who has extensive interests in the African business ecosystem.
The police said they made the discovery on the seventh floor of an apartment building on E. Houston St on the Lower East side about 3:30 pm on Tuesday — after one of his siblings called 911 saying he had not been seen all day.
Saleh was last seen on Monday afternoon around 1.40pm — as captured by a CCTV footage. He was said to have shared the building’s elevator with his alleged killer.
The footage is said to show the suspected murderer carrying a bag as he follows the victim into the elevator and attacks him as the lift goes up to the seventh floor
The bag was found beside the dismembered body of the millionaire tech entrepreneur, but the police did not immediately open them to see if the body parts were inside.
His arms and legs below the knees were removed, and body parts were put in plastic bags on the property.
Sergeant Carlos Nieves, NYPD spokesman, said all of the body parts were found at the scene but he declined to give specifics on where.
“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,” Nieves said.
Fahim Saleh was born in Saudi Arabia to Bangladeshi parents before settling in New York with his family and started coding as a teenager. He founded PrankDial after graduating from Bentley University where he recorded his first success in tech.
Gokada began operations in Lagos in 2018 after raising $12.4 million according to Crunchbase. During their venture capital raise of $5.3 million in 2019, Saleh announced plans to expand Gokada services into a club with restaurants, letting drivers relax and get things they need from a Gokada shop such as food.
Investigations into his death have commenced in earnest to trace the persons or group behind his tragic demise. Many commentators on social media are alleging that his gruesome murder may have to do with a business deal that went south.
