First Military Governor Of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson, Dies

It has been reported that the first military Governor of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson, died at Lagos hospital on October 30. 

Brigadier Gen. Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson (rtd) has passed on at the age of 83.

Deji, Son of the late army brigadier, confirmed the death, he reported that his father fought a long battle.

He said, “I am afraid to break the news to you that we have lost our dad. He fought a long and hard battle; unfortunately he could not make it. He passed on this afternoon (Wednesday).

“We just want his legacy to outlive him and we want people to honour his memory in a way he would want to be honoured.”

The late Johnson served under a former Head of State, Maj. Gen. Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, and was appointed the military governor of Lagos State by Ironsi’s successor, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

He was governor from May 28, 1967 to July 1975.

At the inception of the Gen. Murtala Mohammed administration in 1975, Johnson was one of the two state governors that was found not guilty of corruption by the three-man panel commissioned to investigate the various allegations of corruption among state governors.

He retired from the army in 1975 and went into private business.

Johnson, who lost his wife, Funmi, on Saturday, February 6, 2016, was survived by three sons and a daughter.

May his soul rest in peace.