Babatunde Folorunso: Baba Oni Lace | Principals & Principalities

He robbed banks in expensive lace. He escaped from Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison. And on the day the Lagos firing squad came for him, he still showed up dressed in his signature attire.In this episode of Principals and Principalities, host Ayomide Odubonojo-Kinoshi tells the story of Babatunde Folorunso, aka Baba Oni Lace, the armed robber who became one of the most infamous criminals in Nigerian history. A former apprentice mechanic turned getaway driver for the Dangerous Seven (Oyenusi's gang), Folorunso terrorized Southwest Nigeria in the early 1970s — and did it all draped in the most expensive fabric money could buy.We explore the post-civil war Lagos that made him, the "principals" who backed his gang, the public Bar Beach execution that shocked a nation, and how one man in lace managed to kill the lace trend across an entire city.This episode asks the question that defines this podcast: In Nigeria, is crime ever just crime?Listen wherever you get your podcasts — and follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes research, upcoming cases, and episode drops.Follow us On⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us on⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(x) Music Credits:Track: Oro Nipa LaceArtist: Commander Ebenezer ObeyTrack: ⁠Oni SuruArtist: Idowu Odeyemi