The name Babatunde Folorunsho may sound lovely and pleasant to the ear, but its historical bearer was a nightmarish and a source of daily terror for Nigerians in the early 1970s.
Babatunde Folorunsho: Who Was He?
In the 1970s, ruthless bandit Babatunde Folorunsho and his gang of armed robbers put the safety and security of Nigerians in danger. He ruled nearly at the same time as Ishola Oyenusi, also known as the “Doctor of Rob and Kill,” the leader of Nigeria’s armed robbers.
Babatunde Folorunsho earned the nickname “Baba oni lace” (Mr. Lace) for his intense love of lace clothing, which he even wore during robberies.
Babatunde Folorunsho topped Nigeria’s most-wanted criminals list throughout his dreadful rule. Police and local guards searched for him, but in vain. Because of the recently concluded civil war, the nation’s crime rate peaked at this time.
On a fateful day in 1971, Babatunde Folorunsho, also known as Baba oni Lace, appeared unstoppable, but he was captured by the police during a robbery operation. He was accused of stealing a car from Mr. Alfred Marshall. Babatunde Folorunsho was finally caught in the legal system, to the joy of the entire country.
Babatunde Folorunsho was tried for highway robbery on April 8 and 13 of 1971, and he was found guilty. James Agboola Ojomo, the judge, ruled that he should be executed by firing squad.
The day of the execution finally arrived; it fell on July 24, 1971. In anticipation of the execution, thousands of Nigerians flocked to Lagos’ well-known Bar Beach. In Nigeria, that was a first of its kind. Around that time, the sun was shining. Babatunde Folorunsho and two other “criminals” were driven in a lorry to the execution site. The crowd was both nervous and excited.
Babatunde Folorunsho, who was dressed in lace, and other criminals were led to the stakes and tied up while they were in chains. Williams Alders Oyazimo and Joseph Ilobo were the two additional “criminals.”. Unlike Folorunsho, Joseph Ilobo resisted fate until the very end, refusing to accept it.
He eventually said as he turned to face the crowd.
“Ah! This is a wicked world, are all these people here to see me die. I haven’t broken any laws. “.
Sub lieutenant in the Nigerian Navy, Williams Alders Oyazimo. In tears, he adamantly maintained his innocence. He said.
“If you examine your conscience, you will realize that a naval officer of my status would never go robbing in the middle of the night. I will pass away today, free from the charge for which I have been imprisoned. ”.
The colonel, the military chaplain, came up to him. Pedro Martins begged for forgiveness and requested that they pray, but he responded, “Father, I am innocent.”. My children will prosper, and my blood will purify my family. Oyazimo’s final words had an impact on Nigerians. It was such a pitiful circumstance.
Williams Alders Oyazimo might have been completely innocent, according to a source. His execution was probably the result of a personal dispute with some officers who held higher ranks. He and Joseph Ilobo were charged with stealing a loud speaker and record player worth the equivalent of N320 from One Alhaja Taibatu Opene. Despite their respective innocence pleas, they were both given death sentences.
Oyazimo’s words did not sway the executors’ decision, though. The instruction came from a loud voice. Joseph Ilobo cried out, “Make una go call that Alhaja, make she come see we die.”. Then shots began to rain down on the bodies of the condemned trio. Their dead bodies were examined, untied, and then taken somewhere else to be buried.
Nigeria as a whole mourned the passing of Babatunde Folorunsho, better known as Baba oni Lace, but only to make room for more of his kind.
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