‘Doctor’ Ishola Oyenusi is a name etched in the
history of Nigeria as one of the most violent
armed robbers, a criminal who unleashed
boundless terror on many Nigerians. But who was
he and what did he do that his name was
associated with so much notoriety?
The Nigerian Civil War had just ended in 1970 but
by the early 1970s, a stone-hearted armed robber,
Ishola Oyenusi (he called himself Dr. Oyenusi even
if he never finished the secondary school), was
terrorising all of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest
commercial centre. Before one tale of his daring
exploits died down, another one had sprung up.
Oyenusi was no ordinary pilferer, this snitcher
was downright wicked and had all the self-
confidence in the world to go with it. And you
know something? He was quite romantic and
chivalrous. There was a story of how he snatched
his first car on Herbert Macaulay Road in Yaba,
Lagos. Why? His girlfriend was broke. He
eventually sold the car for N400 but the sad part
was that in the process of stealing the car, the
poor owner was shot dead. He actually snatched
the first car he saw on the road. Such was the
ferocious nature of his audacity.
Oyenusi’s arrogance was also legendary. In 1970,
he was arrested and handcuffed by a police
officer. As the policeman was ordering him
around, Oyenusi blasted him and thundered:
‘People like you don’t talk to me like that when I
am armed. I gun them down.‘
Hmmm, but that was not all. Oyenusi was so
feared that when the famed movie director, Chief
Eddie Ugbomah made a film titled The Rise and
Fall of Dr. Oyenusi in 1977, there was no one bold
enough to come forward to act the role of the
armed robber because they feared his members
would show them shege. Ugbomah had no other
option but to act the role himself with the feature
film depicting the senseless violence of armed
robberies and the absolutely atrocious manner by
which lives of innocent Nigerians were snuffed
out. But there was one interesting thing that
happened: a medical doctor by the name of Dr.
Oyenusi was so mad at the film producer that he
headed for the court trying to stop the shooting
of the movie.
Actually, Ugbomah was threatened. He received a
letter from thieves who invaded and looted his
provision store, carting away all they could. In the
letter, they promised to return his goods if he
would only stop shooting the film in which he
exposed the support received by the armed
robbers from their ‘godfathers’ and even high-
ranking officers in the Nigerian Armed Forces. The
stubborn Ugbomah called their bluff and went
ahead with the 16mm-flick (kindly send us a clip
of this film if you have one). Ugbomah would
later produce many other films such as Death of
a Black President (1983), Esan (Nemesis), The
Mask and Vengeance of the Cult in 1985.
In the 1970s, Oyenusi was no doubt the
uncrowned emperor of Nigerian robbers and he is
described as the ‘first celebrated armed robber in
Nigeria’. He is regarded by some as the pioneer
of conventional armed robbery in Nigeria. When
Oyenusi reigned at the height of his regal
confidence, he declared:
‘The bullet has no power.‘
As at that time, armed robbers were condemned
to death and thousands joyfully came out to
‘enjoy’ the grisly public executions before the
firing squad on the pristine beaches of Lagos.
Although Nigeria no longer has very ‘famous’
bandits and thieves like Anini (at teh age of 26,
Lawrence Nomayagbon Anini was the most
notorious robber in Nigeria), Babatunde
Folorunsho, Monday Osunbor, Shina Rambo,
Buraimoh Jimoh, Oyenusi, ‘Mighty Joe’, ‘Captain
Blood’ and George Iyamu (a former Deputy
Superintendent of Police who was Anini’s
collaborator), armed robbery is nonetheless a
major problem in the nation.
THE END
In March 1971, Oyenusi was nabbed by the
Nigerian Police after he organized a robbery in
which $28,000 (value as at that time) was stolen.
They killed a police constable in the process.
Although the first public execution of robbers had
taken place in April 1971, that of Oyenusi and his
criminal allies was a special case and the Lagos
government took time to prepare the grounds at
the Bar Beach.
By 8.am, officials were already at the execution
arena to check the whole place just to ensure
that everything went on ‘well’. A combined team
of police officers and soldiers struggled to
contain the surging crowd of thousands of
excited spectators. At about 9.15 am, a team of
Lagos City Council workers came to the execution
arena with empty mock coffins which they calmly
laid behind the execution stand. Obviously, they
were there to make fun of a man who had sent
so much terror into their hearts. About half an
hour later, eight robbers were led to the execution
stand…
HIS EXECUTION DAY
On the day of Oyenusi’s execution, over 30,000
Nigerians trooped to the famous Bar Beach
(armed robberies were quite rare then and when it
happened, it was the gist of the town for months
so the considerably high level of the people’s
curiosity can be appreciated). While some in the
crowd jeered and booed Oyenusi and his Gang of
Seven, some of his friends and family members
present could not hold back their tears. But for
most of the witnesses, it was good riddance to
bad nonsense. As for Oyenusi, he was smiling,
smiling to the last but the agony on his face too
was unmistakable. But just few minutes before
his body was riddled with hot-leaded bullets from
stern-faced soldiers of the Nigerian Army, he
finally confessed saying:
‘I am dying for the offence I have committed.‘
Two army trucks and a black van conveyed them
to the firing spot. Oyenusi was in the black van.
In seconds, three soldiers flew out of the army
trucks and proceeded to the black van inside
which was Nigeria’s most dreaded armed robber.
The soldiers came to a screeching halt and stood
at attention by the van. All of a sudden, one of
them let out a shrill command! The door was
flung open and slowly, Oyenusi appeared from
within the darkness of the Black Maria. As if the
heavens were in concert, dark clouds had formed
over the Bar Beach. He was cloaked in a dark
long-sleeved shirt and his hands were tied behind
his back. He spotted a pair of dark loafers and
his trousers were wrinkled. Sweating profusely,
he kept throwing fast glances around as if he
was looking for someone as he surveyed the
crowd who had thronged the beach to simply see
him die.
As the soldiers grabbed and tied him to the pole,
he was still scanning through the crowd. One of
the giggling spectators in the crowd whispered to
the next ‘Who is he looking for?‘. Smartly, seven
soldiers formed a lethal line in front of Oyenusi. A
soldier let out a fierce command to the
sharpshooters. All of them took aim at Oyenusi.
The next voice reverberated all over Nigeria:
‘Fire!’
Like an electrocuted being, his body shook
vigorously as he slumped and went limp around
the pole that held his remains.
Truly, it's pays to have a good name rather
riches rooted with bad controversy.

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CC:Seun,Lalasticlala,Ishilove

Good name is better than gold and silver

Tales of Shina Rambo and Anini nko...?!

iPopAlomo:
Tales of Shina Rambo and Anini nko...?!

watch out...

Is it a true life story I watched the film not long ago

missKiffy:
Is it a true life story I watched the film not long ago

yah it is