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A Man Let a Beggar With a Baby Sleep at His House. When He Woke Up, His Jaw Dropped –

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Gavin Mars, an American who had just been left by his fiancée, sympathized with a homeless woman and her baby and let them sleep in his house for one night. But when he woke up the next morning, he realized that his life would never be the same.

Gavin walked into the hospital, well-dressed and handsome, but his worried expression revealed that something was wrong. His wife, Olivia, accompanied him both in the walk and in the serious look. When a doctor opened the door of his office, calling Gavin to enter, he froze. Gavin looked at Olivia, hoping she would accompany him, but she was looking at her cell phone screen and said she would wait outside. Alone, he entered the office…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Twenty minutes later, at the end of the consultation, Gavin left the office stunned. What he heard from the doctor was not what he expected, and all he needed at that moment was comfort.

“Are you done? Can we go now?” Olivia asked harshly.

Gavin replied, “Yes,” and the couple left the hospital distantly. Gavin felt desolate and walked automatically, hardly realizing where he was going. Olivia walked beside him, saying nothing, just typing on her cell phone. In the car, the woman finally put away her phone, sighed, and looked at him firmly.

“Well, judging by your behavior, you won’t be able to give me an heir.”

The lump in Gavin’s throat prevented him from responding. He needed a few seconds to organize his thoughts and said, “I’m still waiting for the results of some tests. There’s still hope.”

“I don’t have time to wait anymore, Gavin,” the woman interrupted. “I’m an independent woman. I’ve achieved what I wanted with my career. Now I lack a child. If only I had known about your incapacity before…”

At this point, Gavin no longer heard what his wife was saying. Through the car window, he observed a touching scene: sitting on a bench on the street was a young woman with a weary and tired expression. She held a baby in her arms who was crying. Gavin felt his heart tighten at the sight of that homeless mother trying to calm her baby.

“Wait a second, I’ll be right back,” Gavin said to Olivia, who was confused and asked him to go home quickly. But Gavin ignored her and kept walking. Gavin entered a small diner and came out carrying sandwiches and a bottle of juice. Then he headed towards the woman with the baby. As he approached them, Gavin introduced himself and, handing over the food, said with a smile, “Here, hope this makes your day better.”

The woman looked at him confused and somewhat scared, seeing that the man was giving her food. She took the package and thanked him. However, in the midst of that simple moment, Olivia hit the car horn and shouted loudly through the window, “Let’s go now, Gavin! This is not the time for charity.”

The woman with the baby bowed her head in embarrassment and thanked again for the food, her voice low like a whisper. Gavin got into the car and didn’t even have time to start the engine.

“Can I know what that was all about? Gavin, interacting with that kind of people—is this just to embarrass me? You seem to enjoy this.”

Gavin replied that he was just trying to help someone in a delicate situation. Olivia added that her husband’s supposed heroic attitude did not help their situation at all.

“Don’t you have more important things to worry about?” Olivia concluded.

Gavin closed his face and preferred to remain silent. That night, while Olivia slept beside him, Gavin sat on the bed feeling a mix of anguish and revolt, as if someone had taken away from him the possibility of fulfilling his greatest dream—to be a father. He got up and left the room, walking down the hallway and stopping in front of a door. When he gathered the courage to open it, tears finally rolled down his face. The room was beautifully decorated to welcome a baby. It was clear that a lot of love and dedication had been put into it. Gavin sat in the armchair in the dark and ended up falling asleep there.

A few days passed, and Gavin and Olivia went back to the hospital for the results of the last tests Gavin had taken. As before, Olivia did not want to accompany him, and Gavin entered the office alone. He sat down and listened as the doctor explained what his tests indicated.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have good news,” the doctor said with a serious expression. “Both the spermogram result and the DNA test are conclusive in a diagnosis: you are infertile and will never be able to have biological children.”

The doctor concluded. Those words weighed on his shoulders like a rock. Devastated, Gavin left the office without saying a word. Olivia didn’t ask any questions, as if she had already understood everything from her husband’s expression. When they arrived home, Gavin sought solace in his partner’s arms while crying, but all he found was anger.

“You know that my dream has always been to be a mother, Gavin. If you can’t give me a child, I don’t know how I can be happy. This is not fair to me.”

Gavin argued that his infertility was a coincidence, he was not to blame, and was as devastated as she was.

“If the fault isn’t yours, then whose is it? I can get pregnant; I’m perfectly healthy. If you were a real man, I would already be pregnant,” Olivia said, stabbing Gavin once and for all.

Gavin couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and his argument ceased. Olivia had crossed all boundaries. Hurt and feeling alone, Gavin watched his wife pack some personal items in a small suitcase.

“I’m going to my father’s house. Someone will come to pick up the rest of my things in the next few days,” Olivia said as she closed the door behind her.

Without thinking, Gavin went to the shelf and grabbed a bottle of wine. He had stopped drinking years ago, but at that moment, all he wanted was to numb that devastating feeling. He downed two glasses at once, and by the third, he was already feeling dizzy. Desolate, Gavin left the house. In addition to having to deal with the fact that he could never be a biological father, something that was his greatest dream, he also had to deal with his wife’s abandonment.

This whirlwind of problems led him to spend the night drinking in bars until he got drunk. In the cold night, Gavin walked slowly until he reached the bridge. He leaned on the railing and remembered the happy moments he had lived with Olivia, especially when they decorated and prepared the room that would be for the long-awaited baby. But at that moment, what should have been a beautiful memory had become a curse. All Gavin felt was a growing anguish. With unsteady steps due to so much alcohol consumed, Gavin looked more like a ghost.

A cacophony of voices took over his head, but the voice that stood out the most was that of the doctor saying, “You are infertile and will never be able to have biological children.” Altered by alcohol and pain, he began to gesture, imitating the doctor’s movement in a melancholic way. Gradually, Gavin approached the edge of the bridge as the cold wind blew on his face, warning him that he was crossing the safety limits. In his mind, the same questions tortured him: why did I achieve a three-story house, a car, and a bank account stuffed if I don’t have a wife and a child to enjoy all this with?

On the edge of the bridge, practically hanging, he looked down, saw the murky water, and drank the last sip from the bottle he carried with him when he heard a shout, “Hey, guy!” At first, Gavin thought he was seeing things, but after squinting hard, he gasped. A few meters away from him was a woman with a baby in her arms. Looking closer, Gavin recognized her. It was the same woman he had seen leaving the hospital. Exacerbated by the drink, he said, “I remember you.” At that moment, the baby in the woman’s arm started crying. The baby’s cry had an unexpected effect on Gavin, as if it had pulled him back to life. Gavin stepped away from the bridge railing and asked, “Why is she crying? Did I scare her?”

In a low voice, the woman replied, “If I don’t eat, how can I feed her?”

Upon hearing this, the businessman felt extremely uncomfortable. While he was about to give up everything, others remained steadfast without even knowing how to feed their children.

“Come with me, let’s go buy something for you to eat,” Gavin said, embarrassed.

The woman looked suspiciously at Gavin but did not refuse the offer. They walked towards a nearby store. The swaying motion of the walk in her mother’s arms calmed the baby again. Walking through the store aisles, the woman said her name was Lauren and that the baby in her arms was her daughter named Lily. As they walked, Gavin asked if she was raising her daughter alone on the streets, to which the woman replied that she had been abandoned by her boyfriend when he found out she was pregnant. She had grown up in an orphanage and lived with him, and so she lost both her partner and the roof over her head at once. Lauren managed to afford modest rent for a few months until she was evicted for non-payment. Gavin listened to the story and felt disgusted, especially because it was a delicate matter for him.

“I don’t understand how someone abandons the woman carrying their own child. It’s unacceptable,” Gavin said, unable to hide his indignation. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

It had been two weeks since Lauren and her daughter had been living on the streets. However, even in that difficult situation, she was still a well-groomed, articulate, and intelligent woman. The young mother was awkward about receiving help from a stranger, so she carefully chose discounted items from the shelves and put them in the cart. Seeing that,

Gavin said it wasn’t necessary.

“Don’t worry about prices, get the best quality items.”

Lauren relaxed for the first time since they met and responded with a gentle smile, “I’ll use your money as if it were mine. I’ll take the discounted items; there’s nothing wrong with them.”

Surprised, Gavin just nodded. As they left the store, Gavin said, “Look, I live alone now, and in my house, I have a guest room where you two can spend the night.”

Lauren immediately became frightened by the man’s proposal. She handed Gavin the bag she was holding, returning everything she had received from the man.

“No, I appreciate it, but I’d rather go on with my life. See you later.”

Gavin understood Lauren’s mistrust and said, “I understand that you don’t trust me, and you shouldn’t. After all, I’m a stranger. But I swear I have no ulterior motives. My wife left me today, and in a moment of weakness, I almost did something foolish. Maybe you and your daughter saved my life, and I’ll be forever grateful to you. I’m a good person, and I just want to give back.”

At that moment, the baby in Lauren’s arms smiled at Gavin, made a cute sound, and then burst into laughter. Baby Lily was having fun watching Gavin’s expressions. That laughter from his daughter made Lauren relax a bit. She remembered the day she received the sandwich and juice from that same man and how the woman in the car had shouted at him.

“We’ll just eat and take a shower, and then we’ll leave, okay?” Lauren said.

Gavin smiled and replied, “Sure, deal.”

The three of them went to Gavin’s house, and upon arriving at the place, Lauren was wide-eyed. It wasn’t a luxurious mansion, but it was more than the woman had ever had. Gavin led her to the living room and put the groceries on the table, excusing himself to leave the room. Upon returning, he handed Lauren some clothing options.

“I bought these pieces for my ex-wife, but she didn’t like them. If you want, they’re yours. I also have these little clothes for your baby, and you can take a shower there,” Gavin added, pointing to a room. “Make yourselves at home. I’ll quickly prepare something for us to eat.”

Lauren picked up her daughter and went to the suite. Upon entering the room, she noticed it was a baby’s room, all planned to accommodate a child, which left her perplexed. She bathed her daughter, breastfed her until Lily fell asleep. Gavin prepared a simple dinner and was surprised when Lauren entered the room again with Lily in her arms. She didn’t seem like the same woman he had encountered on the street minutes before. Lauren gently placed Lily on the living room couch and sat down at the table. The young mother devoured the meal with great appetite. Gavin watched her lovingly, sympathizing with this woman challenged by life, and there beside her, Lily rested warmly and safely for the first time in weeks. At that moment, a feeling hitherto unknown stirred in Gavin’s heart, bringing him a sense of comfort and warmth. He was experiencing, even if only imaginatively, the feeling of having a loving family.

Gavin chose not to delve into Lauren’s past or ask uncomfortable questions. He had already understood the main point: Lauren and Lily had no one to lend them a hand except him.

“Do you have any kids?” Lauren asked, starting a conversation.

Gavin swallowed hard before answering the question. With a shaky voice, he replied that he couldn’t have children, although he had always wanted to.

“I was sure I would be a father soon, so I decorated the nursery and got everything ready. I even dreamed about it, but my dream turned into a nightmare after countless attempts with my ex-wife,” he said, still with a trembling voice.

Sensing that Gavin was getting emotional, Lauren apologized for touching on a sensitive subject. Gavin reassured her, “Don’t worry, Lauren. In fact, I should apologize. I’ve never been in the state you found me in today. I saw myself sinking deeper and deeper into a dark abyss. If it weren’t for you…” Gavin faltered, unable to complete the sentence, and Lauren laid her hand on his.

“It’s okay. We all have a dark side, but we need to keep faith in ourselves and know when to accept help when it comes. That’s why I accepted your invitation.”

For the first time in a long time, Gavin felt understood, and it wasn’t by the woman he had spent the last few years with but by that stranger he had encountered on the street days before. The two finished the meal, and Lauren picked up Lily from the couch. Gavin insisted they sleep in the baby’s room, and this time the young mother didn’t refuse. Lauren went to the room and put Lily to sleep in the crib. She looked at the room’s decoration, and in every detail, there was love and tenderness. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched her daughter sleeping under the dim light of the bedside table. At that moment, Gavin appeared in the doorway, smiled, and wished them both good night, stepping away. At that moment, Lauren imagined Gavin passing by the room every day, fully aware that he would never hear a child’s laughter in there.

The next day, Lauren was surprised to be woken up by another resident of Gavin’s house—a cat named Chips. Chips liked having the company of the mother and daughter and started rubbing against Lauren’s leg, purring affectionately and tapping her ankle with his paw.

“Good morning, cutie,” Lauren exclaimed, scratching the animal behind the ear.

Gavin had woken up earlier and immediately prepared breakfast for Lauren—coffee, bread, eggs, and various fruits served at the table. As they ate, Gavin’s cell phone alarm went off, leaving him pale with surprise. It was a reminder of an important business trip which Gavin had forgotten about due to the whirlwind his life had become in recent days, in addition to the drinking the day before. Hurriedly, Gavin told Lauren that he needed to get ready to catch a plane, but that she could stay there without any problems. Lauren hesitated, to which Gavin replied, “We need to know how to accept help, right? There’s no sense in you and Lily sleeping on the street when this apartment will be empty. Besides, who’s going to take care of Chips for me?” Gavin finished with a convincing smile.

Lauren thought for a few seconds, and Gavin breathed a sigh of relief when she finally accepted the proposal. Before Gavin’s departure, Lauren made a sandwich for him and timidly told him that she would eagerly wait for him. When Gavin said goodbye to Lauren at the door, he felt he would miss Lauren and Lily and replied, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Please wait for me. I feel something good and true between us.” Lauren nodded in agreement, and Gavin bid farewell.

Weeks passed, and Gavin and Lauren talked daily through video calls. During these conversations, the young mother showed Chips and also her daughter Lily. Their relationship grew closer every day through long conversations filled with laughter and deep topics. Olivia had asked for a divorce, and as much as the reason hurt Gavin, the happiness he felt talking to Lauren was greater than he had ever felt with his ex-wife. Gavin returned home weeks later, holding a bouquet of white roses. Now he knew exactly what he wanted from life and realized it hundreds of miles away.

“Lauren, would you like to be my girlfriend?” Gavin said, emotional.

Lauren accepted, and they kissed. Months passed, and their relationship grew even stronger. One night, as they were leaving a restaurant, Gavin carried Lily in his arms when he crossed paths with his ex-wife, Olivia, at the door, who was totally surprised by the scene. The calmness with which Gavin handled the situation made him even more aware that he was now with the right person.

“Gavin, is that you? This baby, but how?”

Gavin walked towards his car without paying much attention. “Sorry, my daughter needs to go to bed. Good night.”

Lauren squeezed Gavin’s waist and accompanied him, holding back tears as she confirmed that her daughter now had a father. Lauren and Gavin got married, uniting their hearts at the altar. Gavin’s acquaintances and friends admired this beautiful and unexpected encounter, wishing the couple much happiness. Lauren held him by the hand, and the three got into the car. Gavin started the engine, heading towards a life full of love and challenges like the father and husband he had always dreamed of being.

 

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The Youngest Grandmother in the World is a 17-Year-old Nigerian

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Who Was Mum-Zi – The Youngest Grandmother in the World?

Mum-Zi was just eight years and four months old when she gave birth to a baby girl in 1884.

From Nigeria, on an island called Akwa Akpa, now known as the city of Calabar, Mum-Zi’s daughter followed her mother’s footsteps, becoming a mother at the age of eight years and eight months thus making Mum-zi the youngest Grandmother in the world.

Over the years, it has not been uncommon to find young parents out there but what is perhaps unusual is to find young teens – as young as 17 – as grandparents…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

In recent times, most people at that age are looking to complete their education or to graduate from high school. The thought of even becoming a parent is rare, thus, having grandchildren is often out of place.

But this was not the situation for Mum-Zi and her daughter, as well as, other young girls in the 19th Century.

According to Lyall Archibald’s 1936 book, The Future of Taboo in These Islands, Mum-Zi was a member of Chief Akkiri’s harem in Akwa Akpa (now Calabar), who would later be the father of her daughter.

Since the 16th Century, Calabar had been a busy international seaport, shipping out goods such as palm oil.

Historical accounts state that during the Atlantic slave trade, it became a major port in the transportation of African slaves, with most slave ships being owned by Bristol and Liverpool.

Some missionaries would later record the challenges of poor water supplies, malaria, and the presence of some tribes who were sometimes not too welcoming to evangelists and other slave traders.

What was common, however, was the fact that chiefs kept a harem of wives and slaves.

The harem is basically a female backyard or household largely reserved for princes and lords of this world.

This private space has traditionally served the purposes of maintaining the modesty, privilege, and protection of women.

In most parts of Africa and elsewhere, a harem, in terms of royal harems of the past, may house a man’s wives and concubines, as well as, their children, unmarried daughters, female domestic workers, and other unmarried female relatives. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Mum-Zi was one of the many women and girls who lived in a harem belonging to Chief Akkiri. After giving birth at 8 years and four months, with the chief being the father, her daughter would also become a mother exactly eight years later. She was reportedly impregnated by the same chief who happens to be her father.

She gave birth at an age slightly older than that of her mother’s, as she was 8 years plus 8 months. Nevertheless, this remains one of the shocking moments in history.

Ever since the 1700s, a number of cases have been highlighted to show how girls and women across the world suffer just because of their gender.

Among these forms of gender-based violence is child marriage, which denies children the right to be children and take away from them the opportunities for education and a better life. It also exposes them to risk of violence at the hands of their usually older and powerful husbands.

A recent report by Girls Not Brides revealed that globally, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children and 17 per cent of them, or 125 million, live in Africa.

It added that about 39 per cent of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married before the age of 18 and all African countries face the challenge of child marriage.

According to the report, Niger has the highest number of child brides, with three out of four girls married before they are 18.

The Central African Republic follows. There, the legal minimum age for marriage is 18, however, girls can get married at 13 years if it is approved by a court and/or if the girl is pregnant.

In some cases, earlier marriage is allowed if a parent consents to it. At third place is Chad, which has a rate of 67 per cent.

Some of the drivers for child marriage in these countries are poverty, upholding social and religious traditions, as well as, conflict, which forces many parents to consent to child marriage as a way of protecting their girls from violence and sexual assault.

Culled from Face2Face Africa

If you find this story about the youngest grandmother in the world interesting, kindly drop a comment below and share on social media.

 

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How Nzeogwu Killed Ahmadu Bello and His Wife, Hafusatu, During the 1966 Coup

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On the 15th of January, 1966, the first coup in Nigeria was staged by a group of Nigerian soldiers led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu.

The bloody coup which toppled the democratic government of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa led to the death of some key political figures including Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa himself, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh (the Finance Minister), Chief Ladoke Akintola (Premier of Western Region), Sir Ahmadu Bello (Premier of Northern Region & the Sardauna of Sokoto) and his first wife, Hafusatu Ahmadu Bello.

Ahmadu Bello
Ahmadu Bello

Ahmadu Bello’s first wife, Goggon Kurya Hafsatu bint Abdulkadir Maccido, was the daughter of the Waziri of Sokoto whom he (Ahmadu) married in 1932…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Gidado Idris, who as at then was the personal secretary to the late Ahmadu Bello recounted his January 15, 1966, coup experience. In an interview with Weekly Trust on his 80th birthday in 2015, he recalled how Kaduna Nzeogwu Killed Ahmadu Bello and his wife during the course of the coup.

The Coup

“On the 14th of January, 1966, the evening before the tragedy, at about 8:00 pm, late Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa called and wanted to speak to the late Premier. He was free, so I put him through. Afterwards, the Premier called me and he said he wanted to know the extent of his indebtedness to shops where we used to collect things, like Kingsway, Bhojsons, et cetera, where we had account.”

“At about noon, he called me and his ADC, Aliyu Kangiwa and asked us to go around to see his new office, so the three of us went. Generally, he was happy with it. Earlier, he had been told that the Premier of the West, Samuel Akintola, was coming to see him but the arrival was still some time away. So, he decided not to go to the airport and went to the mosque for Friday prayers, after sending a minister to receive S. L Akintola. All this was during Ramadan.”

Kaduna Nzeogwu who led the first military coup in Nigeria
Major Kaduna Nzeogwu

“At about 3:00 pm, we were told that Premier of the West had arrived and was on his way to General Usman Hassan Katsina House in Kawo, which was meant to be the Sardauna’s new official residence and office. When he arrived with his entourage, I remember Remi Fani-Kayode was with him, as well as other ministers.”

“Akintola said he had come to see the Premier and to find out from him whether he was aware that the army would take over the government the following day. The Sardauna said he heard about it but has left everything in the hands of God.”

“Akintola then said he had come with a plane, so they could go someplace like neighbouring Niger, where his best friend was then the president. The Premier rejected it and said those who were asking for the government’s removal did not bring it to power in the first place. He said ‘I won’t leave my people in their hour of need to run away and take shelter somewhere else’. He then advised Akintola that since he was certain that it was going happen, to go back to his people and brief them to get prepared to fight. Akintola took the Premier’s advice and returned to Ibadan.”

Idris said after Akintola left, it was too late for Bello to go and play his favourite game, Fives. He then decided to drive around the GRA and Kaduna south before Iftar time (the breaking of Ramadan fast).

“We got into a car, one of the long ones with seats facing each other. It was driven by Alhaji Ali Kwarbai (Ali Sarkin Mota), the Sardauna’s chief driver. He was with his friends and I sat facing them. We were not discussing anything and the driver just drove around and later returned home just in time for the breaking of the fast,” he said.

Idris Gidado
Gidado Idris

“You have to understand the work of the Premier then was a 24-hour affair, no Saturdays or Sundays off. If we left our homes in the mornings, we normally returned after midnight and that is why most of our children at that time didn’t even know who we were. We were out of our houses by 5:00 am because we couldn’t afford to go to the Premier a minute late.” READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Later That Night

“Later that night, after breaking of the day’s fast, the famous musician, Dan Kwairo, was around till about 10.30 pm, as he had come to entertain the Premier. Of course, we were tired and grumbling but there was nothing we could do. He played till about 11:30 pm when suddenly the late Alhaji Ali Akilu, who was the Secretary to the Northern regional government, then-Commissioner of Police M.D Yusuf and Brigadier-General Samuel Ademulegun, all three of them, came and went straight to the office asking to see the Premier. The Premier, sighting them, left us and decided to go and meet them. They met for about half an hour, then they left.”

“When the Premier came out, Dan Kwairo was still playing but he called it a night and went upstairs to write his Sallah address and go to bed, as we were to go to Sokoto the following morning.  We were chatting and noticed it was getting late and the Premier had still not sent for us, so we decided to go home.”

“When we came out, we were not aware that by then soldiers had already taken position around the compound. I was living at Doka Crescent then and as I left the Sardauna’s house, a siren blared.”

“We used to test it from time to time to see if it was working and I thought that was what was going on. But then I saw the then-deputy Commissioner of Police, an Idoma man whose name escapes me, heading in the direction of the Premier’s house, as did late Haruna Musa, the Principal Secretary’s security detail. But I went home, as I didn’t think there was any problem.”

Ahmadu Bello told Nzeogwu: “I am the one you are looking for.”

“Abubakar Umar, the Sardauna’s Private Secretary, who was on a visit from Kano and was accommodated in the guest wing of the house, heard a loud noise and saw the chaos from his room with soldiers everywhere. He quickly called the Private Secretary to the Premier, Ali Akilu who told him what was happening, that it was perhaps a coup. Akilu quickly dressed up and drove to M.D. Yusuf’s house. Five minutes after he left, soldiers stormed his own house and asked after him but his wife told them he went to Zaria for a meeting, so they left. The telephone call by Umar saved him.”

He said there was nobody else in the house.

“Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu had all of the Premier’s wives, servants and wards brought out and asked them to sit down on the floor. Nzeogwu himself demanded to know who Ahmadu Bello was and there was a resident of the house who looks a little like the late Premier but wasn’t as tall. He came out and said he was the one, but they knew he wasn’t. The soldiers said if they were not told who Ahmadu Bello was in the group, they would shoot everyone.”

Hafusatu Ahmadu Bello
Hafusatu Ahmadu Bello

“The Premier, who was among them, got up and said ‘I’m the one you’re looking for’, prompting his three wives to come to his side, distraught. When the soldiers were about to kill Ahmadu Bello, two of the wives stood up, leaving the first wife who said if they must kill him, then they must kill them together. He was shot, along with her, as they embraced each other. They left the body where we found it.”

“The whole place was deserted. All the ministers had left. We decided that the best thing was to get his body removed to the house of the Sultan of Sokoto in Ungwan Sarki. When we did, it was prepared for burial and that was where he was buried.”

Gidado Idris

Gidado Idris later became a permanent secretary in Kaduna state from 1971 to 1975, secretary of the constitution drafting committee in 1975, secretary of the constituent assembly that produced the 1979 constitution and clerk of the national assembly in 1979.

On October 17, 1995, late Sani Abacha, then head of state, appointed Idris as SGF, a position he held till May 28, 1999 when Nigeria returned to civil rule. He died in December 2017.

 

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

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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…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

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. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

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.

 

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