PHOTOS: Ibadan Biker Who Rode From London To Ibadan Receives Royal Homecoming

A biker Captain Olatunji Emmanuel Okedeyi, has arrived in Ibadan,his home town,after completing a remarkable motorcycle expedition from London, United Kingdom, to Nigeria.

Captain Okedeyi was received by the Olubadan of Ibadanland,Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his Palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan where he said the 25-day journey, covering more than 12,000 kilometres, was part of a global campaign to raise awareness about polio and mobilise support for its eradication.

He said the expedition took him through 13 countries through France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and the Republic of Benin before arriving in Lagos on Tuesday.

Receiving the tourist, the Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, commended Captain Okedeyi for the remarkable feat, describing the expedition as one that had further projected the rich heritage and global identity of Ibadan.

The monarch recalled his days at Ibadan Boys High School and the exploits of renowned Nigerian traveller, Olabisi Ajala, whose motorcycle journeys across Asia, Africa and Oceania captured international attention between 1957 and 1963, noting that Captain Okedeyi had rekindled that spirit of courage, adventure and patriotism.

In a remark, the President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII, Chief Ajeniyi Ajewole, described Captain Okedeyi as a worthy ambassador of Ibadanland whose accomplishment had brought pride and honour to the city.

Also speaking, the Project Coordinator, Rotarian Tolu Daramola, said modern tracking technology was deployed throughout the expedition, enabling the team to monitor Captain Okedeyi’s progress from London to Nigeria.

Highlights of the homecoming included a donation of £1,000 by the Olubadan to support the fundraising campaign, as well as a grand reception organised by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII, in honour of Captain Olatunji Emmanuel Okedeyi.