Lieutenant Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi holds a revered place in Nigerian history as a military officer whose legacy is marked by loyalty, selflessness, and heroism. As the first military governor of Nigeria’s Western Region, his short but impactful leadership coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in the country’s post-independence era.
Early Military Career and Governorship
Fajuyi, born in 1926 in Ado-Ekiti, began his career in the Nigerian military with a reputation for discipline and excellence. He rose steadily through the ranks and earned recognition for his service during the Congo crisis in the early 1960s, for which he received the Military Cross.
In January 1966, following the first military coup in Nigeria, Fajuyi was appointed the Military Governor of Western Region by General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, the country’s first military Head of State.
The 1966 Counter-Coup and Martyrdom
On July 29, 1966, a counter-coup led by northern officers unfolded in response to perceived ethnic imbalances following the first coup. General Aguiyi-Ironsi, who was visiting the Western Region at the time, was staying at Government House in Ibadan as Fajuyi’s guest.
When mutinying soldiers came to seize General Ironsi, Fajuyi refused to abandon him. In a remarkable act of loyalty, he chose to face death rather than hand over the Head of State. Both men were abducted, tortured, and executed by the coup plotters.
Legacy
Francis Fajuyi’s unwavering loyalty and willingness to die defending a guest and a friend, regardless of political or ethnic pressures, has become a powerful symbol in Nigerian history. He is celebrated for his integrity, bravery, and moral conviction—qualities that remain rare in the face of danger and betrayal.
Today, Fajuyi’s name is etched into the Nigerian consciousness as a national hero. Monuments and institutions, such as the Fajuyi Memorial Park in Ado-Ekiti, stand in his honor, serving as reminders of a man who put duty and honor above all else.
FOLLOW US ON:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
TUMBLR
INSTAGRAM
