Reason late Bolu Akin-Olugbade’s Rolls Royce are up for sale

On Wednesday 13 January 2021, the flamboyant man of means and frontline socialite, Prince Bolu Akin-Olugbade died from COVID-19 complications.

There is no doubt that the death of the super-rich businessman ended a chapter in Nigeria’s robust high society and shook the social establishment to its fabrics.

Known for his high taste and fashion sense, Akin-Olugbade’s name was synonymous with luxury. This is because whenever his name was mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind was his penchant for luxury cars. Akin-Olugbade was a Rolls Royce freak.

He loved Rolls Royce a lot and he started driving Rolls Royce at the age 21. But when Akin-Olugbade, who was the Aare Onakakanfo of Owu Kingdom died in January at age 64, he left behind a rich portfolio of property, including a fleet of super-luxury Rolls Royce —he owned six different models of the luxury cars including the Phantom, Wraith and Ghost, all with customised number plates in his Lagos garage.

As expected, with his death came the challenge of managing his expensive fleet. But this concern was given life after one of his Rolls Royce cars was spotted at an auto shop in Opebi, Lagos up for sale.

This fueled insinuations that the family had started disposing of his property few months into his burial. However, an inside source told Spotlight that contrary to those insinuations, rather the late billionaire’s luxury auto has only been moved to the auto shop on his instruction before his demise.

It was gathered that Akin-Olugbade had already instructed that one or two of the Rolls Royce should be moved to the showroom of a popular auto dealer in Ikeja for sales as he no longer drove them to create space for latest versions in his garage.

The source added that he was around in the late billionaire’s house in Ikoyi, Lagos —on the day he died—when one of the drivers was overheard asking about returning the car at the auto shop back home but was told to wait for the instruction of Yeye Oladunni, the Akin-Olugbade’s widow and matriarch of the family.

But as at press time, the Rolls Royce is still at the Opebi, Lagos auto shop yet to be sold.