……..Peace returned after Ejigbadero was killed
……… Emi ni nwi?
…… My land was forcefully taken in 1976
……..I have spent 70years in Lagos
The old man sat comfortably ,leaned his chin on his walking stick ,smiled wryly , looked up and shook his head . ”Young Man let me tell you the story of my life ”, he said and this reporter quickly brought out his materials and the action started .
MY CHILDHOOD
The septuagenarian chuckled , shook his head and again adjusted himself while others listened attentively to the interview , ”My name is Bankole Oke, I am 78years old now and in two years’ time I would be 80.
”I was born in Oyin -Akoko, in Ondo State. My father was the head of the town and he was the one called ASEMBE. There was a war in Akoko ,and when they came for my father I led them to a brook and was later asked to go back home. I left my parents at home and coupled with my illness that really affected me that was why I was taken away from Oyin Akoko at the age of five and went to live with Dr.Somolu the owner of Alakuko , an area in Lagos /Ogun State, but I lived with his mother in Agege . I was with them throughout where I went to school .
”My father allowed me to go Dr.Somolu because I had a sickness that took toll of me and he wanted me to go to where I could be catered for ”
Pa Oke is grateful to the Somolus, he said ”If not Dr. Somolu I would not have gone to school.In Lagos I was taken to General Hospital , Lagos where I was taken care of and treated” .
Asked whether there were Hospitals in Lagos in the early 40s, but the man looked at this reporter with surprise written on his face and replied ”there had been General Hospitals in Lagos since 50s”. He continued his story ” I was there living with Dr. Somolu till I was 18years”
”Baba , there is a confusion here o, you need to clarify it again , how possible you left and was with the Dr. Somolu and still …?” the old man cuts in ,as he still retained his good retentive memory which was still sharp, he proved that he has not gone senile, and with confidence and calculation , he said he returned to his parents after he had been saved from his sickness by Dr. Somolu and ”I left my Dr.Somolu’s place in 1959 , and went back to Oyin where I went to St John’s Primary school Oyin, then Baptist Modern School Oyin then I came back to Lagos again . I mean when I regained my health I went back to Oyin to have my education and sponsored by Dr.Somolu . The Doctor’s mother was living in Abeokuta.
A DRAUGHT MAN
The old man spoke about the skill he acquired, he said ”I struggled and I later became a Draughtman. I was among those who drew the plan for them in Abuja , I mean that hotel called Sofitel Hotel , and President of Senate’s houses ,I joined them to draw the plans.I was under Architect Group service then”
MY LAND WAS TAKEN BY LAND GRABBERS
At 78 he must have seen , heard and felt and of course experienced the good the bad and the ugly in life , the old man did not deny this as he said ”two things affected me in life that I can not easily forget easily , I never knew I could survive the sickness I had when I was small , but today I thank God for I never believe I could be up to this age.
‘The old man continued , almost in tears , he complained bitterly on how he bought a piece of land in 1976 land planning to erect a building on it but the land speculators truncated his ambition and the land was taken away from him. He said ”I lived in Mushin where I would have built a house in Ogun street Mushin but it was taken away from me and this killed my spirit and discouraged me ,that was in 1976. The land was taken forcefully by the so called Awori people.The Land speculators have been doing this for long and are known as fraudsters.
”I came to Sango looking for where I would settle and I started building this house in 1993 , I thank God that this is where I eventually settled today.
I HAVE SPENT 70YEARS IN LAGOS
Pa Oke has almost become a Lagosian as he said he spent all his years in Lagos ”I have spent 70 years in Lagos apart from the five years I spent at home.I thank God that I eventually have a house , at last I have a place in Sango,
When I came here looking for where I would settle and I came here , I started in 1993 and now here.My advise is buyers should be careful and do research on land before they buy , I live in Orelope here and my children live in Mushin” .
I KNEW EJIGBADERO,
Asked whether he knew the popular and fearless land Speculator , Ejigbadero the iron man in Lagos then , the old man with confidence responded ” Oh yes , I knew Ejigbadero ,a friend took me to Ejigbadero”. He called the name with fear and trepidation again, ”Ejigbadero? Ejigbadero was living at …. (trying to remember ) I even knew his house but I have forgotten ……..(trying to remember where he was living). I knew his house …… at Mafoluku .Ejigbadero was a strong man in Lagos , I knew him one -on -one, Ejigbadero was a bulky man , he was tall. I remember his case when he was arrested for a crime and he said in Court ‘Emi ni nwi ”(what is he saying?) after he had been found guilty and sentenced to death for killing Raji Oba . Peace returned to Isolo after he was killed”, the old man said , shaking his head.
EJIGBADERO’S STORY
The late Jimoh Isola (aka Ejigbadero) was a nail merchant and a Socialite who had a chain of companies in Matori Industrial Estate and was also a land grabber in Lagos.
On the 22August 1975, Jimoh Isola (aka Ejigbadero) went with thugs to the Alimosho area of Lagos and killed one Raji Oba, a man he had issues with over land but he was not lucky and did not get away with it!. He was sighted by Raji Oba’s wife, Sabitiu Raji Oba.He was later found guilty in Court but went to the Supreme Court where the judgement was upheld by Justice Isiaka Ishola Oluwa and Ejigbadero’s death was sealed on October 26, 1978. He paid the supreme price in 1979.
EMI NI NWI? (what is he saying?)
When Ejigbadero was pronounced guilty and the judgment upheld at the Supreme Court, his sympathizers screamed and burst into tears while Ejigbadero being an illiterate did not understand what the Justice’s pronouncement meant and why they broke down , he then asked his lawyer in Yoruba Vernacular ”Emi ni nwi ”(what is he saying?). When his lawyer interpreted it to him that he should be hanged he now broke down in tears. Since then the words Emi ni nwi became popular in remembering him.