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Popular Yoruba Nollywood actor Muyideen Oladapo, also known as Lala, talked about his early hardships and the difficulties he faced growing up in an interview on Biola Adebayo’s official YouTube channel.
The actor revealed how his older brother once made him learn vulcanizing despite his desire to pursue Islamic studies.
Lala explained that as a young boy, he had no interest in learning any trade. Instead, he was passionate about studying Arabic, a decision his father supported. However, his elder brothers were not satisfied with his choice and decided to take matters into their own hands.
According to him, his brothers assured him that they would help facilitate his Arabic education.
However, to his surprise, they later informed him that he would have to leave his hometown of Osogbo and travel to Ilorin for his studies. When he questioned why he couldn’t study in a local mosque, they insisted that he needed to be in Ilorin, where they could monitor him closely.
Lala, who had previously visited Ilorin with his mother to sell okra, was reluctant to move there. He recalled seeing Arabic students begging for food in the streets, and he did not want to end up in a similar situation.
Despite his concerns, his brothers were adamant. They presented him with an ultimatum: either he agreed to study Arabic in Ilorin or he would be forced to learn a trade.
In a shocking turn of events, his elder brother (from his mother’s side) made the decision for him, forcing him to become a vulcanizer. Worse still, Lala was not allowed to discuss the matter with his father.
However, luck was on his side. On the day he was supposed to start as a vulcanizing apprentice, his father visited and asked him directly if he was happy with the decision.
In his words; “I told my father that I didn’t want to learn any trade. I told him the only thing I want to do is learn Arabic and he agreed. However, my elder brothers were not satisfied with this decision. They assured me that by the following week, they would help me sort everything out so I could start going to the mosque to learn Arabic. The following week, my brothers suddenly called me and told me to start packing my bags because it was time for me to go to the madrasa and start learning Arabic. I asked them why I needed to pack my bags when there were several mosques in Osogbo where I could study. However, they told me that I wouldn’t be learning in Osogbo but would instead be traveling to Ilorin, where they could monitor me.”
“I refused because I had followed my mother to Ilorin before to sell okra, and I used to see some Arabic students there begging for food. I didn’t want to find myself in that kind of situation. Yet, they insisted and told me that if I didn’t want to learn Arabic in Ilorin, I would have to work as a vulcanizer. My elder brother (the one from my mother’s side) forced me to become a vulcanizer and didn’t allow me to speak to my father about it. On the day I was supposed to resume work as an apprentice, my father came and asked me a question—which ended up saving me that day.”
“My dad asked if I was satisfied and willing to learn this trade, then I responded, No. I told him I never said I wanted to learn vulcanizing. It was my elder brothers who forced me to become a vulcanizer. They even warned me not to tell you. That was how I escaped,” he recounted.
Watch interview below
