BREAKING: First Lagos State Military Governor, Mobolaji Johnson, dies

The first military Governor of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson , is dead.

He was aged 83.

The PUNCH learnt that the father of four died in a Lagos hospital on Wednesday .

The son of the late army brigadier, Deji, who confirmed the death , said he 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 .

via Punchng