Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, was the first man to import a bulletproof car into Nigeria in 1964. The car was a Mercedes Benz worth £8,000. He rubbed shoulders with the likes of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Bola Ige along many others.
Akintola, born on July 6, 1910, was at a time a teacher and railway worker. He later 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.
In the early hours of 15th January 1966, the military struck and after picking Deputy Premier- Fani Kayode in the same Iyaganku neighborhood, moved to the Premier’s Lodge. The mutineers wanted to forcefully arrest him, but Akintola retaliated and brought out a pistol to retaliate but in the course of the battle, he was killed.
In addition to serving as one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria, he was also elevated to the position of Oloye Aare Ona Kakanfo XIII of the Yoruba. Akintola was proficient in English, Yoruba, Nupe and Hausa languages.