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Few people in life assume the status of legend without being high profile business moguls, respected statesmen, top rated entertainers, literary icons or sporting superstars, Dotun Olaribigbe aka Lobito is one of those people. As a teenager his aura dominated the youth scene of Lagos in the 70’s. An enigma no doubt, whose reputation as a loyal and selfless friend was in itself legendary. I remember how Lobito played the role of chief host at his oldest friend Henry Koyi’s modest 65th birthday last year. He served in the quintessential role of the onsumate “Baba Eto” as usual.
Back in the day, I was privileged to be a member of Lobito’s posse, we rocked all the high school parties in the 70’s and graduated to rocking all the happening clubs in the 80’s. Dotun and I worked on the Harridot Promotion Brand at the beginning when it was solely a boxing promotion company and we achieved quite a bit for Nigeria together in the mid 80’s. We even promoted a Junior Middle Weight World Title Fight between Hunter Clay and Judas Clottey at the National Stadium. It was really an exhilarating period for both of us as together we brought back glamour and prestige to professional boxing in Nigeria.
In time, we moved on to other things, with me facing my broadcast career and Dotun veering into music promotion and security. We however never stopped supporting each other’s aspiration. In the intervening years between the 90’s and now, there we periods we wouldn’t see each other for upwards of a year, but when we eventually get together we just clicked again like we last saw the day before. I last saw my guy last year at the funeral reception of my late sister at the Island Club. As usual we he came with Henry Koyi our trusted third musketeer from back in the day and of course we had a blast. My regret now is that I won’t get a chance to hangout with the great friend of my youth again in this life.
Dotun Lobito, my friend, my brother, my comrade, sleep on till we meet never to part again .
Patrick Harry Doyle
