Pa Julius Okunola Akingbulugbe was born in Ondo City in 1935. His elementary education took him to Ifon, Arimogija and Kano. He later went to Hussey College Warri, Delta State for his secondary education.

Akingbulugbe joined the Nigeria Police Force on February 2, 1958 as a Police Constable. He had a brilliant career by rising through the ranks to the position of the Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1990, before he retired in 1993. Some of his brilliant career positions worthy of mention include an Investigation and Prosecuting Officer in the defunct Regional Criminal Investiugation Department (CID), Western Region of Nigeria (1963-1973), Station Officer at Iwo, Oyo and Sagamu (1974-1975), Divisional Police Officer Abigi, Ijebu Waterside, Ogun State (1975), Senior Staff Officer Ogun State Police Command (1976-1980), Deputy Commandant Mobile Police Squad (Mopol) 16, Abeokuta (1980 to 1982).

He was also Divisional Police Officer in Aramoko-Ekiti in the present Ekiti State (1982 to1983).  

It was in Aramoko-Ekiti he had the litmus test of his career as a Police Officer. In August 1983, the Federal Electoral Commission otherwise called FEDECO fraudulently declared the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) candidate, Chief Akin Omoboriowo as the winner of the gubernatorial election of the old Ondo State (now Ondo and Ekiti states) as against the acclaimed winner, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). Pa Akingbulugbe refused all forms of inducements and stood by the truth and refused to support the falsified result, which gave fraudulent victory to the NPN candidate. In order to prevent him access to the Election Petition Tribunal where he was required to give evidence, he was allegedly victimised, and given a punitive transfer from Aramoko-Ekiti in South-West Nigeria to Maiduguri in North-East of Nigeria.

At Maiduguri, he was rendered redundant without duty post and held almost incommunicado. In September, 1983 when he was required to appear before the Election Petition Tribunal in Akure, Ondo State, the signal got to him in Maiduguri less than 48 hours to the court session. He braced all the huddles put on his way and he got to Akure within time to give evidence before the Election Petition Tribunal, which later nullified the falsified results and returned victory to the actual winner. But for him, the truth about the falsification of result in that election, particularly in his area of jurisdiction, would have remained suppressed. Even though, he was not acknowledged by the government or given any special award, Pa Akingbulugbe is still qualified to be recognised as a defender of democracy.

He remained as Chief Superintendent of Police Administration (without Portfolio) in Maiduguri, Borno State (1983-1985). He was posted back to the South West as Divisional Police Officer, Ikere Ekiti (1987). He held other positions such as Divisional Police Officer of ‘A’ Division, Akure (1988-1990). He was Member of Armed Robbery Tribunal sworn-in by the Military Governor of Ondo State, Commander Bode George, in 1989. Finally, he was the Area Commander as Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Ekiti North Area Command, Ijero-Ekiti (1990-1993).

Upon retirement from the Nigeria Police Force on the merit, Pa Akingbulugbe was appointed as President of Customary Court, Grade III Janway, Ondo from 1998 – 2003, by the Ondo State Judicial Service Commission, where he served a one-off term of five years creditably.
He is survived by children and grandchildren among whom is Mr Tunde Akingbulugbe, former Head of Adverts, The Guardian on Saturday.