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The Real Story of Ishola Oyenusi – Nigeria’s Deadliest Armed Robber

Doctor Ishola Oyenusi tied to the stake
Doctor Ishola Oyenusi tied to the stake

Who Was Dr Ishola Oyenusi?

Ishola Oyenusi, popularly known as Doctor Oyenusi, was a notorious armed robber who terrorized the people of Lagos and other neighbouring 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.

Was Ishola Oyenusi Really A Medical Doctor?

Dr 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’s Robbery Exploits

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 claimed by some sources that Oyenusi was romantic.

Ishola Oyenusi- Daily Times

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 quite arrogant. 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!”

Doctor Ishola Oyenusi came into the 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, Ishola 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.

Ishola Oyenusi’s Arrest

However, nothing lasts forever, and as the Yoruba 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 in which he and his notorious gang killed a police constable named Mr. Nwi and stole $28,000 as at then. Cloud of shame hovered above Doctor Ishola Oyenusi as he was casted before the law and found guilty then sentenced to death by firing squad.

Oyenusi confessed that he was not to die alone because he did not commit the crimes alone.

He vomited the names of other members of the gang which included: Joseph Osamedike, Ambrose Nwokobia, Joel Amamieye, Philip Ogbolumain, Ademola Adegbitan and Stephen Ndubuokwu.

Back then, public execution was the order of the day, so when Oyenusi was ushered to the popular Bar Beach in Lagos where he was to be executed, over 30,000 Nigerians were happily and excitedly waiting to see the man who had terrorized them get riddled by hot bullets.

It was said that some civil servants even brought a coffin to the execution ground to mock the once mighty robber kingpin who was now nothing but a scapegoat whose breath would be exhausted in any moment.

Doctor Oyenusi execution
Ishola Oyenusi being led to the stake

Ishola Oyenusi’s Execution

Trucks carrying Oyenusi and his executors arrived at the execution ground around 10:am. Doctor Oyenusi, his gang members and one other criminal got down slowly.

People jeered and booed them, especially Oyenusi who they had really trooped out to watch die. Oyenusi donned a dark long-sleeve shirt and had his hands tied behind him.

He was sweating profusely but managed to smile all the way to the stakes. He kept smiling, smiling and smiling but could still not hide the agony and terror written boldly on his face.

Few minutes before he was shot, Oyenusi told journalists that he would not have ventured into armed robbery if his parents were capable of sending him to secondary school.

He also said, “I am dying for the offence I have committed“. Oyenusi and other criminals were fastened to the stakes. The soldiers lined in front of them and aimed their ever-ready guns. Some of the criminals yelled their last words of protest at the cameras. Then a loud voice let out the word “fire”! Oyenusi and other criminals’ bodies were sprayed with bullets.

That was the bitter end of Ishola Oyenusi who lived by the bullets and died by the bullets. The execution of Doctor Ishola Oyenusi sent the streets of Lagos deserted at night. Families locked themselves behind doors for the fear that some of Oyenusi’s boys might retaliate.

Ishola Oyenusi's execution
Doctor Ishola Oyenusi (circled) and his gang’s execution

This fear lasted long that even in 1977, the veteran movie director, Eddie Ugbomah, called for actors to play the role of Oyenusi in a movie he was about to produce titled “The Rise and Fall of Dr Oyenusi”, but no actor was brave enough to step forward to play the role.

They all feared that Oyenusi’s boys might show them pepper. Eddie Ugbomah had no choice than to play the role of Oyenusi himself. In the movie, he revealed the secrets of top Nigerian officials and military men backing Oyenusi and his gang by providing them money and weapons.

As expected, Eddie Ugbomah was threatened and later, his store was looted. He was told in a letter to stop shooting the movie and everything would be returned to him. But Eddie Ugbomah proved not to be a coward by eventually releasing the movie in 1977.

In recent times, a Nollywood actor, Odunlade Adekola, also released a movie (Oyenusi) detailing the life of Ishola Oyenusi, the most notorious Nigerian armed robber.

The name Ishola Oyenusi will forever be remembered in the history of crime in Nigeria.

Thanks for reading, OldNaija.com

References:

  1. Osifodunrin, Paul Ayodele; Dec. 2007; Armed Robbery and Murder in Lagos, 1960-2000; Violent Crimes in Lagos, 1861–2000: Nature, Responses, and Impact (Thesis). The University of Lagos.
  2. Omipidan. Teslim Opemipo. Notorious Armed Robbers in Nigeria. OldNaija. https://oldnaija.com/tag/notorious-robbers-in-nigeria/

Kindly share and drop a comment below if you enjoy reading this.

Cite this article as: Teslim Omipidan. (April 4, 2019). The Real Story of Ishola Oyenusi – Nigeria’s Deadliest Armed Robber. OldNaija. Retrieved from https://oldnaija.com/2019/04/04/the-real-story-of-ishola-oyenusi-nigerias-deadliest-armed-robber/

53 Comments

  1. but i was told that oyenusi died naturally later because the bullets did not penetrate his body at execution

    1. That’s a tale from a movie. Above is a picture of Daily Times newspaper showing the dead body of Oyenusi and his gang few minutes after they were executed. Thank you for your visit and comment, Precious. kindly do check back.

  2. Thank you for the piece. It is good to learn from the past events……not to know what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child.

    1. Very true. The blogger’s account is real; somis the Daily Times’ version. I should know because I was in my 30’s and those terror killings and robberies struck fear into everybody.
      We were relieved when the fake doctor was executed despite the false bragadocio of smiling to hell.
      Thanks for sharing this with young people, OLD NAIJA.
      TOLA.

      1. It’s my pleasure, Mrs. Tola.
        “false bragadocio of smiling to hell” This really got me laughing. I hope he is still smiling in hell.
        Thank you so much for the clarification ma. This goes a long way. Have a wonderful night.

  3. Dr Ishola Oyenusi is a lesson to the young one who is determined to be robber nothing last forever, no matter how powerful you are God power is greater.

  4. very nice n luvly n true story abt oyenusi,the same story my grand farher told me bcoz he always say 2us dat any 1 of us who steal,his or her life wil end like oyenusi,thank u 4more enlighting

  5. A great post with a very informative and historical fact . this post is a reminder of our past . Nice job mr teslim

  6. The only reason why i deliberately choose to comment was that , i watch the modern version of oyenusi movie starring odunlade adekola i was so devastated because the movie was poorly made and full of fictional piece of crap . The movie story line was quite different from what i expect . Naija filmmakers and writers got a long way to go because they were nothing but bunch of jokers

  7. Yes, he was a real armed robber in his lifetime. According to the Yoruba film starring Odunlade Adekola as Oyenusi, Oyenusi was not his real name but the name he loved. He was a real medical doctor who was sacked in a hospital and research was conducted before the film was made! The alleged new Doctor/Robber is a doctor based in Abuja who is currently on the run. ????????????????????????????????????????

  8. His real name was not ‘Oyenusi’ but Oye. He lives with a woman called ‘Nusi’. Whenever he caused trouble and people asked who is causing trouble, people answered and say ‘Oye’ that is living with ‘Nusi’. This later turned to be his name- OYE-NUSI. He acquired his juju power from ‘Nusi’ husband really as we watched in odunlade film and as was told by Pa Adebayo Faleti.

  9. His real name was not ‘Oyenusi’ but Oye. He lives with a woman called ‘Nusi’. Whenever he caused trouble and people asked who is causing trouble, people answered and say ‘Oye’ that is living with ‘Nusi’. This later turned to be his name- OYE-NUSI. He acquired his juju power from ‘Nusi’ husband really as we watched in odunlade film and as was told by Pa Adebayo Faleti.

  10. Thanks for this wonderful piece. However, I will like to clarify two things. 1st is that the issue that gun did not kill him is just a taboo and that he has juju or disappears and so on is unfounded. 2nd that he was a medical practitioner is also unfounded. In his report he mentioned that his parents were not able to send him to secondary school and that was part of the reason that he went into arm robbery. It will be good to put both records straight.

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