“This is a memorial forged in movement,” – Dr. Adeola Balogun

On Gerrard Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, a gleaming marble bicycle now stands with its presence both striking and solemn. It has already been unveiled and named “Dr. Bob’s Bike,” a tribute to Dr. Olaolu “Bob” Mudasiru, the investment banker, mentor, and cycling enthusiast who was killed in a hit-and-run accident on this very route in December 2022. The project was sponsored by Bolatito Ajibode, late Dr. Bob’s aunt.

The artist behind the work, Dr. Adeola Balogun, who was commissioned for the project, stood before the crowd on a Sunday, 10th of August 2025, his voice carrying both pride and grief. “This is a memorial forged in movement,” he began, “something to keep his memory alive and to remind us all of the need for safer roads.”

Balogun described the sculpture in detail as a futuristic bicycle crafted from bonded marble, its smooth white surface engraved with black electronic track lines. Each wheel carried a red circle at its hub, a subtle symbol of love and connection. “The marble speaks of permanence,” he said, “but also fragility. It can endure for centuries, yet shatter under force just like life itself.”

He spoke of how the bicycle form itself symbolised movement, freedom, and time, while the engraved lines suggested the intertwining of human journeys and technological progress. “These lines,” he noted, “can be seen as roads travelled, but also as the invisible patterns of our modern world the paths that bring us together, and sometimes, tragically, take us apart.”

Quoting Thomas Campbell, Balogun added, “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” He looked towards the monument. “I believe Olaolu will continue to live in the hearts of friends, family, and acquaintances. This is more than art, it is a space for reflection, a reminder of how precious and vulnerable life is.”

The Man Behind the Memory

Born Olaolu Mudasiru, Dr. Bob co-founded Vetiva Capital Management, mentored young professionals, and championed health and wellness through cycling. He was also the first son of Group Captain Gbolahan Mudasiru, a former Military Governor of Lagos State.

On the morning of December 11, 2022, Dr. Bob set out for an early ride with two friends. Near the Bourdillon and Gerrard Road junction, a speeding car struck them. The driver fled. Despite police efforts, no public resolution has been given since.

A Community That Refuses to Forget

In the two years since, Lagos’ cycling community groups like PitStop Lagos and Cycology Cycling Club have kept his memory alive with annual rides. Each event is both tribute and protest, calling for safer roads, working CCTV, and even dedicated cycling lanes.

His family has gone further, creating the Olaolu Mudasiru Foundation to support the causes he loved: education, entrepreneurship, the arts, cycling, and wellness.

Why Gerrard Road?
For Lagos cyclists, Gerrard Road is a familiar training loop, a place of challenge and camaraderie. Placing the monument here, near the very spot where tragedy struck, gives it a powerful resonance.

Now, every cyclist, commuter, or passer-by will see not just another piece of street art, but a marker of love, loss, and a call for justice.

As Balogun put it, “Art keeps people present. It connects memory to a place.” And so Dr. Bob’s Bike will stand, its marble frame catching the Lagos light, telling its story to anyone willing to stop, look, and remember.

Words/Ireho Aito/Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger!/Photographs/ Dr. Adeola Balogun