![THE STORY BEHINDE THE STREET OF [RAJI OBA] one of the most popular streets in Egbeda Alimosho, Lagos State,](https://www.oniftv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/JH.gif)
In 1970s when this true-life story began, there was no Raji Oba Street. There was no Winner Chapel building. There was no Diamond Bank. In fact, almost all of what is now one of the most densely populated areas in Lagos State was a forest. Except for some rural settlements scattered here and there, the entire Alimosho was a village.
As you go from Iyana Ipaja to Egbeda in Alimosho, Lagos State, Raji Oba Street is to your left. It is one of the most popular streets in the area
So who was Raji Oba?
Why was the street named after him?
Is there a story behind the naming of the street after him?
What happened that fateful night in 1975?
To tell you the story of Raji Oba, I must tell you the story of Ejigbadero.
Baba Moradewun! Lion of Mushin! Jimoh Ishola Adeyemi! Ejigbadero! Gbadero! The Chairman!
Jimoh Ishola was arguably one of the famous people in Lagos of 1960s and 1970s. He was rich. He was streetwise. He was known. He was connected. He was the darling of musicians of the day. One of the surest ways to launch a musical career then was to sing about Ejigbadero. Yusuf Olatunji (Baba Legba) devoted substantial part of his Volume 19 to sing his praises. Baba Commander, Ebenezer Obey and his Inter Reformers Band, celebrated him in his 1974 album.
Ejigbadero was not born in Lagos, he became the unofficial Lord Mayor of Lagos metropolis. Jimoh hailed from Oja-Oba Quarters in Ibadan. He came to Lagos with his uncle. After a short stay in the city, he moved from an apprentice to being a company owner.
When he incorporated his company, Jimsol Nigeria Limited, a nail manufacturing concern at Matori, Mushin, which he co-owned with his friend, Fatai Areago, he was not satisfied with just being called the Managing Director and therefore styled himself: The Chairman!
Beyond nail manufacturing, Ejigbadero had over time acquired a reputation as a dealer in landed properties. He also provided security services over land. Where it concerned land, Ejigbadero was known to the police and familiar to the judges.
In 1975, Ejigbadero went with his boys to clear a large expanse of land in Alimosho Village. The land was full of cocoa and kolanut trees. When the villagers saw their economic trees going down, they challenged him and his boys. ‘The Chairman’ informed the villagers that he had purchased the land. “You lied,” the villagers told Ejigbadero and would not allow him and his boys continue work on their land. The Boys looked at their boss who leaned calmly on his walking stick. They were waiting for signal to strike. Once Ejigbadero stepped on any land, the land must become his. Instead of Jimoh Ishola to raise the walking stick to signal action, he turned back. The Boys followed him disappointedly.
The villagers jeered and booed after them. A few refused to join in the booing.
They knew better that the retreat of Ejigbadero was not a surrender. They knew he would be back. Ejigbadero was not the one to run away from a fight.
RAJI OBA was one of the villagers. He was as brave as he was vocal. He was not afraid of Ejigbadero and he told him to his face. Even when Ejigbadero threatened to kill him, the threat was met with a sneer. “Igbá ni won n pa, enikan kii pa àwo.”
On this very day ,Raji Oba had finished work on the farm for the day. He was almost at home when he was informed that ‘The Chairman’ was around with his thugs who he usually described as his workers.
Raji turned back. “Ma fi oko mi se ona, ojo kan ni a n dekun re.” Raji was determined that he was going to stop the land grabber that day.
He was followed by some of the villagers who had also heard the news. They met Ejigbadero on the land.
His boys were cutting cocoa trees with ruthless determination. Kolanut trees were not being spared either. Raji Oba flared up. A big fight erupted. Ejigbadero stood like a rock. He was commanding his boys to give it to the villagers like an army general.
In the free-for-all that followed, Ejigbadero saw his chance as Raji Oba moved close to him. In a moment he had stabbed him. Raji didn’t see the dagger, but he felt blood flowing from his eyebrow. It was clear that Jimoh Ishola was aiming for his eye.
Raji Oba was rushed to the hospital and from there to the police station. They made a report of criminal assault and attempted murder against Ejigbadero; but nothing happened afterwards.
What type of Oba was he [RAJI OBA] that he would stop Ejigbadero, Kiniun Baba Moradewun?
“Baba Fatai, your food is ready.” Ejigbadero looked up. It was his youngest wife, Ramota. Though he was not particularly hungry, he didn’t want to displease the pregnant woman. He told her to bring the food. At the sight of the expectant mother, an idea started to form in his mind. He smiled. Ramota thought her husband was enjoying the meal. She was pleased.
It was in the month of August 1975 that Lagos social circle heard the news it had been waiting. Ramota, Ejigbadero’s wife had put to bed. Socialites knew what to expect. It was going to be a grand occasion. It was going to be an assemblage of Lagos who’s who. It was going to be the party of the century. And it was a Friday!
True to expectation, Ejigbadero didn’t spare any expenses for the naming ceremony
Back in Alimosho. Sabitu, Raji Oba’s wife, was returning from the market when she saw Ejigbadero and his boys.
A woman was in their midst. She was shocked to see ‘The Chairman.’ They had heard in the village that one of his wives had delivered a baby and that the day was the naming ceremony.
She quickened her pace home. She needed to warn her husband of the presence of Eji in the village. It was already dusk but the moon had appeared. She met her husband reclining in front of their house. She informed her husband that Ejigbadero was in the village.
he had hardly finished speaking when she heard an explosion. GBOAH! Raji Oba fell from his seat with a thud! Sabitu jumped in alarm! Raji had been shot in the head
The wounded man began to groan in pain. Blood was oozing from the wound. Sabitu turned to the direction where the sound of the explosion had come from. Smoke from gunpowder was drifting up to the clear moonlight sky. She saw seven people running away towards a nearby bush. She distinctly recognized Ejigbadero. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt and trousers. He was holding a gun.
And she shouted at the retreating figures: “Ejigbadero mo ri e o! Ara Abule! Ejigbadero ti pa mi loko o!”
Back in Mushin, the naming party was in full swing, It was a party that Mushin would remember for a long time.
August 22, 1975, the police officers [AGEGE POLICE STATION] on duty heard the crowd from a distance. Alimosho people have come again! What has happened again? The officers wondered.
“Ejigbadero ti pa Raji o!”
The officers knew that Yoruba language was full of hyperbolic expressions. A mere tap on the cheek could lead to a shout of ‘Mo ku o! O ti pa mi o!”
They were however shocked when they realized that Raji had actually been killed. This was not a case of Mo gbe! Mo ku! Mo daran!
The villagers were unanimous that it was Ejigbadero that killed Raji.
Ejigbadero was in company of late party guests in his house when the police came. He was informed that his attention was needed at their station. He was wanted in connection with the murder of Raji Oba. Ejigbadero’s visitors did not allow him to speak before they jumped to his defence!
“When?
Where?
Ejigbadero who did not step out of this Mushin throughout yesterday!”
The Lion of Mushin was confident of himself.
His defence was as solid as a rock.
His alibi was incontrovertible. He had judges, lawyers, police officers and journalists as his witnesses. What more could he want?
He retained Chief Sobo Sowemimo, a highly experienced advocate, as his counsel. His case was good. He knew. On the other side was the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Omotunde Ilori.
As the prosecution began its case.
Mr. Ilori called Sabitu Oba to the witness box. She narrated the event of the day. Ishola was smiling throughout her testimony.
Rafiu Latifu was another witness called by the learned DPP. Latifu testified that on the evening of August 22, he was returning to the village when he saw a white Peugot 504 station wagon parked by the side of a mosque a distance of two minutes to the house of Raji Oba. He also saw Ejigbadero and six other persons, one of whom was a woman, run out of a nearby bush towards the parked car.
It was at this point that Ejigbadero began to doubt his defence. Awodi oke ko mo pe ara ile n wo ohun.
There was a policeman who was riding a bike that night who also recognized him. Remember I told you that Ejigbadero was as popular, as Christmas jingle.
Ejigbadero’s defence was straightforward.
He was in Mushin on August 22. He didn’t step out of his house. He had witnesses who were eminent people in the society. He called Bashiru Ajape, a police officer; Jacob Oyelakin, a Manager with Leventis Motors; and Emmanuel George, a lawyer. They all testified that they were with Baba Gani at his baby’s naming ceremony that day. The court considered the evidence of these eminent personalities and found each of them to be ‘miserably untruthful in the evidence they gave’.
The trial judge took his time to review the case for the prosecution as well as the case for the defence. A life was at stake and mistake must not be made
The judge found the evidence of a security guard in the employment of Ejigbadero helpful.
Kehinde Yekinni was the security guard employed to guard Ishola’s factory. He testified that Ejigbadero came to the factory in the evening and later left for Alimosho with Modina, Osadebey, Isiaka, Bakare, Wahab Oduntan, and Lukman. The group later returned to meet him at the factory around 9pm.
On their return, Ejigbadero drew out a gun from underneath his trousers and told Kehinde that he (Ishola) had killed the man that Kehinde refused to kill.
In the end, the judge found that Mr. Ilori had proved the case for prosecution beyond reasonable doubt. Jimoh Ishola was found guilty on the two counts: conspiracy to murder and murder.
Ejigbadero turned to his counsel and in his Ibadan accent asked, turning his nose to indicate His Lordship:
“Emi ni n wi?”
What was the Judge saying?
Jimoh Ishola appealed the judgment to the then Federal Court of Appeal [ ‘court dismissed his appeal]
Off to the Supreme Court 1977. On Thursday, October 26, 1978, a panel of the Supreme Court comprising My Lords: Alexander, Fatai-Williams, Irikefe, Bello and Idigbe affirmed his conviction.
Strangely Ejigbadero today has a bus stop and a street named after him in Lagos in Egbeda area of Lagos State.
