Samuel Ladoke Akintola: First Nigerian to import a bullet-proof car

- Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, a Yoruba politician, is noted as the first Nigerian to import a bullet-proof car into the country

- The car, a Mercedes Benz, was bought for 8,000 pounds and imported into Nigeria in 1964

- Akintola started politics as an ally of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a respected politician, now late, but later broke away

Some Nigerians may not know but the first man to import a bullet-proof car into the country is Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, then premier of the western region.

Akintola, regarded as a respected political strategist of his time, imported the £8,000 Mercedes Benz car into the country in 1964.

Known to be in the category of Nnamdi Azikiwe, first governor-general of Nigeria, and Chief Bola Ige, the late minister of power under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Akintola was also the 13th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land.

Akintola, born on July 6, 1910, was at a time a teacher and railway worker. The son of Akintola Akinbola and Akanke was also a Christian and lawyer.

He also practised journalism, worked with the Nigerian Daily Service Newspaper in 1942 and later became an editor of the media house.

Akintola’s journalism career grew strong as he was granted a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom and returned in 1949 to join other educated Nigerians in Yoruba land to form the Action Group (AG) led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He became the legal adviser to the political organization and later got elevated to the position of its deputy leader in 1953 after the death of another top politician, Bode Thomas.

He was, as a result of his position, the opposition leader of the House of Representatives. He later had a rift with Awolowo leading him to dump the AG.

He contested and won to become the premier of the western region on the platform of the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), a new political party.

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He served as a minister of health, communications and aviation before he was assassinated in Ibadan, Oyo state on January 15, 1966, following the first coup in the country.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reports that a 26-year-old Nigerian, Max Chinnah, recently made history as he invented a smokeless stove that he patented with his partner, Attigah.

The Nigerian inventor, hopes that his piece would help in the saving of lives around the world.

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Source: Legit.ng