Photos: Shola Oyenusi, Nigeria’s Deadly Armed Robber Who Smiled to His Death

EKO HOT BLOG
Oyenusi, was a notorious armed robber who terrorized the people of Lagos and other neighboring cities in the 1970s.

Ishola Oyenusi and his gang of six were highly skilled in snatching cars, robbing banks, factories, stores and killing people like chickens. Doctor Oyenusi, as he was called, was not a doctor by profession but adopted the title for the fun of it.

The evidence lies in a confession he made few minutes before his execution. He confessed that his parents were not capable of furthering his secondary school education and that was what forced him into robbery. So without having a secondary school education, Oyenusi by no way could have been a medical doctor.

Oyenusi started off his robbery career by snatching a car (whose owner died in the process) just because his (Oyenusi) girlfriend needed some money. It was said by some people that Oyenusi was romantic. He sold the car at the price of N400 and gave the money to his girlfriend. It was also said that Oyenusi was hot tempered and arrogant.

READ ALSO: ‘The Solomon Of Africa’ With 56 Wives And 300 Children

During his arrest, he thundered down on a police officer who was ushering him around. He said, “ people like you don’t talk to me like that when I’m armed, I gun them down!”

Oyenusi came into limelight after the Nigerian civil war ended in 1970. He robbed banks and people in both daylight and night, and he never let any of his victims live to see another day, he killed them all! This earned him the name “ Doctor rob and kill “.

At the height of his horrific reign, Oyenusi bragged that “ the bullet has no power“. He probably forgot that he who live by the sword will surely die by the sword. Oyenusi was so infamous that he was regarded by some people as the “ first celebrated armed robber in Nigeria “, and after him was Lawrence Anini, Babatunde Folorunsho (Baba oni lace), Shina Rambo, Buraimo Jimoh and others.

.

However, nothing lasts forever, and as the adage says, everyday belongs to the thief while a day belongs to the owner. On the 27th of March, 1971, Oyenusi was nabbed by the police during one of his robbery operations. Oyenusi confessed that he was not to die alone because he did not commit the crimes alone.