How We Caught Oyenusi, Mighty Joe
In 1999 long after my retirement, I got a warrant to travel to England to give evidence in a particular matter which began while I was still in service. I had correspondence with the British High Commission in London. All the documents were forwarded to me through the High Commissioner in Lagos. They sent a warrant and on the 23rd of June 1999. I left the shores of Nigeria to England. On arrival, I went to the Royal Court to testify
It was voluntary, because we adopted persuasive appeals to extract useful information from them and also assured them all will be fine if they cooperate with us. It was then Oyenusi confessed that he never knew we could arrest him and bring him to justice. So he then gave names of those who were involved in the Wahum robbery and the role played by each of them, as well as other robbery operations they carried out in the past. He disclosed that the gateman of the company was aware of the robbery operation through the Administrative Officer of the company and that was why he deliberately delayed opening the gate. He told us that they also took the rifle of the dead police constable. He took us to the place where they threw the rifle away. It was a Mark-4 and we recovered it. From then, we became friendly with them because we never exercised any form of brutality. At this stage, we had to call for all the files concerning all the robbery cases he mentioned to see if we could get more persons arrested.
Before the arrest and prosecution of Oyenusi and his gang, did any of your team of investigators know who they were?
No, until the Wahum incident. It was in the course of interrogation that all of them confessed the role they played. Even the gateman told us he was made to play the hesitant role so as to get the attention of the Constable to come down and ask questions, since he was the only one that was armed. Also, the Admin officer confessed how he got the security man involved so that the operation would be smooth.
How many of the convicts faced death sentence by fire squad?
They were eight in number. So at the end, a case of armed robbery, murder was established against the eight involved to face firing squad. Before the firing was carried out, the then Military Governor of Lagos State, Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson signed the Execution Warrant and they were tied to stakes and executed by firing squad.
What was the scenario like on that day of execution?
There was a mammoth crown from all parts of Lagos and beyond that came to watch the execution. There was a 16-man squad and a commanding officer. Two soldiers to each of the convicted robbers. After the firing, it was discovered that Oyenusi was still alive while others were dead. A medical doctor who went round to ensure they were dead was the one who informed that Oyenusi was still alive and the commanding officer asked all the 16 men to concentrate on Oyenusi until his head dropped and he was confirmed dead.
What can you tell us about Mighty Joe’s arrest and prosecution?
Another incident was that of a man called Mighty Joe, a native of Kwara, living in Lagos then. He was tall, had a very broad chest with a tiny waist like a lion. He was a terror involved in many cases that had to do with robbery and assault. Whenever he did not rob, he went about harassing commercial sex workers, hoteliers and bar owners who pay royalty to him and members of his gang to stay in business, otherwise any refusal would be met with stiff penalty. In all this, he had a way of escaping from the long arm of the law, because he was reputed to have connections in high places, including high government officials.
With this, he feels untouchable and above the law to the extent that he was never arrested or prosecuted when he was fingered in the case which involved the killing of a Lebanese businessman in Lagos. Anytime Mighty Joe wanted to cool off he went to any drinking joint with his gang to drink without paying. Same thing he did to sex workers, hoteliers anytime he developed the urge without paying and no one dared to ask questions.
So how did he meet his waterloo?
To God be the glory, it was on a weekend when he drove his Peugeot 404 car to a drinking joint. On that fateful day, he was driving at Ikorodu road to have fun at Caban Bamboo, owned by Bobby Benson. On his way, he decided to stop over at a drinking joint at Mushin juncnot tion of Ikorodu road to have some bottles of beer before proceeding to his destination. The server attended to him and he drank four bottles of beer. After that he stood up and went to his car to drive off but the attendant politely told him Sir, you have not paid for the four bottles of beer you drank. Mighty Joe became infuriated, asking him where he got the boldness to ask him to pay for the beer he drank, and if he did not know who Mighty Joe was. To cut a long story short, he descended on the attendant and beat him black and blue. Not only that, he went to the counter and collected all the day’s proceeds and drove off afterwards. When the bar owner came back to see his attendant in such a sorry state, he asked him what happened, and he narrated how Mighty Joe beat him up and collected all the sales for the day.
The owner of the place, an Esan man, swore that this was the very last time he would tolerate the bully behaviour of Mighty Joe. He went straight to the CP and reported the case. This time, some police officers were drafted and the CP assigned the case to a senior police officer called Oloko who in turn liaised with our investigative team and Mighty Joe was arrested and detained. After investigation, his case was referred to the DPP for legal advice and they established that he had a case to answer. The trial began and he was sentenced to death by Justice T. S. Gomez-led tribunal. During his trial, Mighty Joe spoke in Yoruba language telling Justice Gomez “Ose’o”. So each time his defence counsel raised any objection to exonerate his client, the judge would overrule him, and Mighty Joe would exclaim: “Ose’o am not surprised.” Not only that, Mighty Joe was in the habit of quarreling with his counsel.
On every court day, a lady I supposed was his wife would meet the counsel to inquire of the court proceedings. But each time Mighty Joe sighted her speaking with the lawyer, he would scream at the lawyer from the Black Maria that he was going to kill him when he comes out because he wants to take his wife from him. At the end of the trial he was found guilty. Before reading his judgement, Gomez, who was bespectacled, removed his pair of glasses and looked at Mighty Joe in the dock and said: “This is my judgement. The evidence adduced by the prosecutor cannot be swept under the carpet. The prosecutor proved his case beyond any reasonable doubt. The defence of the accused person is nothing to write home about. The tribunal therefore sentence you to death by firing squad.” Thereafter, the governor signed the death warrant and he was executed by firing squad.
On the eve of his execution he had a premonition of it. He told us in the morning that he had a dream where he was feeling very sad and that he feared something bad was going to happen to him but we told him there was nothing to fear and that all was well. Eventually when the Black Maria drove to his cell to fetch him he exclaimed: “I said it.” At about 9:00am of that same day on Radio Lagos, it was announced that Mighty Joe was going to be executed. Before we got to the Bar Beach many people had besieged the place, mostly those people he had one way or another wronged and who had suffered one humiliation or the other in the hands of Mighty Joe.
Have you by any means had contact with any member of your team?
Honestly, for almost 20 years now, I have heard from any of them. We used to interact when I was in Lagos, but since then honesty I don’t know. Some may still be alive and some may have died but I have not seen or heard from any of them.
Can one say you may probably be the last man standing among the team?
Most likely but I still don’t know.
At the end of it all, was there no form of compensation by the police authority to your team for a job well done?
There was compensation. The Inspection General of Police, Kam Selem gave us a commendation letter and £10, which was a lot of money then. The commendation letter was dated December 1st, 1971.
As a man who saw it all, what message do you have for the younger generation?
Especially to the younger generation, they should learn to live exemplary lives. In my case, the bicycle and motorcycle (Suzuki) I rode were from the loan I collected from the police. Not from bad money but money deducted from my salary every month till I finished paying. What will be will be. For instance, when I was at Alagbon, I went for a course test. I did very well. As a matter of fact, I came first but was not considered because I could not grease the palm of the officer who will recommend those of us who passed for a training course in England. This was in 1963. Eventually the colonialists, who believed in merit, had all gone and our brothers were in charge and they took the man who came 7th position because he could afford what they wanted. So having served creditably well and never considered for promotion to other higher ranks, I had to put up a letter for voluntary retirement in 1982.
How do you compare the attitude of policemen during your time to what we have now?
Policemen during my time were serviceconscious than what we have today. What we are seeing in this country was never so before. In those days, if you traveled to a distant land and got there late, you could go to a police station to seek accommodation, but that cannot happen now. There was this incident when I was detailed to invite somebody to the police station for a matter. When I got there, he attacked me. Even though I was with my service rifle, I was not tempted to shoot him. But can that happen today? So, the police then were much better in those days than what we have today. There are lots of variances. That is why you see a police man who just joined the force today and tomorrow, he will want to own a car, big mansion. The rate of corruption is higher now than before. That is why today, a police man who is supposed to be your friend and provide security turns around to attack the very citizen he ought to protect.
Given the regrets you mentioned, aren’t you fullfiled?
Says who? Am quite happy. I am happy that I am still alive. I thank God for that. I have children who are doing well. All my eight children are all graduates. My eldest son’s first daughter, who happened to be my first grandchild, just got a scholarship to do her Masters degree in Harvard. So what else do I want that God has not given me? Though I lost my wife some years back, I refused to remarry. So, I am happy and thank God for it. You see as I said earlier, what will be will be. In 1999 long after my retirement, I got a warrant to travel to England to give evidence in a particular matter which began while I was still in service. I had correspondence with the British High Commission in London. All the documents were forwarded to me through the High Commissioner in Lagos. They sent a warrant and on the 23rd of June 1999. I left the shores of Nigeria to England. On arrival, I went to the Royal Court to testify. I was to stay for six months or even extend my stay if I so wished but I left and came back on the 15th of December same year.
This was the same place I was deprived of going in 1963 but had the opportunity to go. I don’t know whether it had anything to do with the police but I still went. This was why I said what will be will be. I am satisfied and happy.