Olabode Thomas was one of the brightest minds of 1950s Lagos — a British-trained barrister, a founding figure of the Action Group, and by 1951 one of the first Nigerians to sit as a central minister. A street in Surulere still carries his name; most people who drive it have no idea why.
[02:10] THE MEETINGAs the story is told, Thomas visited Oyo in 1953 while serving as deputy chairman of the town's council. The Alaafin, Adeyemi II, entered the room. Everyone rose and bowed. Thomas, so the legend goes, stayed seated — and greeted the king with words that sounded to the elders like a bark.
"He barked like a dog. Now let him bark."
Within days, Thomas fell ill. He is said to have begun barking, and died soon after, aged 34. To many, the cause was obvious. To his doctor, it was not.
The Alaafin was suspended by the regional government in 1954. Whether that had anything to do with Thomas is still argued over in Oyo and Lagos alike.