On September 8, 1971, the nation witnessed a dramatic moment in its criminal justice history when feared armed robber Ishola Oyenusi and members of his gang were executed by firing squad at Bar Beach in Lagos. Convicted by a military tribunal for a string of violent crimes, their public execution marked the end of a terrifying chapter in Nigeria' s fight against crime.

Nicknamed " Doctor, " Oyenusi had become the embodiment of fear across Lagos and the South- West during the early 1970s. Known for his brutality and seeming invincibility, he was infamous for killing his victims without hesitation and carrying out robberies with clinical precision. His reputation grew so terrifying that many Nigerians believed he used traditional charms that made him bulletproof and invisible to law enforcement.

So confident was Oyenusi in his powers that he reportedly taunted police officers, boasting that he could not be killed. As he was led to the stake on the day of his execution, he remained defiant and smiling, unfazed by the crowd of hundreds who gathered to witness the fall of a man once thought untouchable.

Although his criminal activities dated back several years, one of Oyenusi' s most brazen acts occurred along Herbert Macaulay Road in Yaba, Lagos. There, he shot and killed a man in cold blood, stole his car, and later sold the vehicle for £400— an amount he then gave to his girlfriend. In another daring operation in March 1971, Oyenusi and his gang attacked a factory in Ikeja, killing a police officer on duty and stealing £28, 000.