Adekunle Fajuyi

Adekunle Fajuyi was a Nigerian soldier of Yoruba origin who served as the first military governor of the former Western Region of Nigeria. He joined the army in 1943 and rose through the ranks to become a commissioned officer in 1954. He fought in the Congo crisis and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. He was appointed as the governor of the Western Region by Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, the head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces, after the coup of January 1966 that toppled the civilian government. He was known for his loyalty and courage, as he refused to abandon Ironsi when the latter was kidnapped and killed by the counter-coupists led by Major T.Y. Danjuma on 29 July 1966 in Ibadan. Fajuyi was also murdered along with Ironsi and buried in a shallow grave. He was later reinterred with full military honors in January 1967. He is regarded as a hero and a martyr by many Nigerians, especially the Yoruba people. He was survived by his wife and four children.