Throwback : Thousands Of Lagosians Welcome Chief Obafemi Awolowo To Lagos In 1966

Throwback : How thousands of Lagosians welcomed Chief Obafemi Awolowo to Lagos in 1966. 

Thousands of fans yearning to have glimpse of their beloved Awolowo practically stopped his convoy from moving.

His motorcade was brought to a standstill by supporters, prompting Awolowo to swiftly retreat into his Mercedes. 

The Mercedes W114 Awolowo used during his historic trip to Lagos now resides in a museum at his residence in Ikenne.

A throwback video captures the triumphant return of Nigerian nationalist and statesman, Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo, to the Nigerian capital, Lagos, after his release from prison.

His arrival in the city was nothing short of extraordinary, with thousands of fans who had been waiting for hours to have glimpse of their beloved Chief Awolowo, practically stopping his convoy from moving.

The crowd, predominantly composed of market men and women, “proudly waved an endless sea of banners adorned with messages beseeching him to champion the cause of making Lagos a separate state”.

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Quoting British Pathe :

“The air echoed with resounding chants of “Awo! Awo!” as their voices resonated throughout the city, interwoven with soul-stirring songs that celebrated unity”.

As seen in the footage, Chief Awolowo’s motorcade was brought to a virtual standstill by adoring supporters, prompting the yoruba leader to swiftly retreat into classic Mercedes-Benz W114 limousine.

The Mercedes-Benz W114 limousine Awolowo used during his historic trip to Lagos in 1966 now resides in a museum situated at the Ikenne residence of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The museum is part of a Mausoleum, commissioned on August 4, 1989 by Awo’s wife, H.I.D Awolowo. The mausoleum harbors the remains of both Chief Obafemi Awolowo as well as his wife, H.I.D.

Credit: British Pathe

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