Family stranded as Ex-Gov. Fajuyi’s son snubs court order, demolishes father’s only house

Mrs. Lanre Fajuyi, wife of Donald Fajuyi—eldest son of Nigeria’s revered war hero Lt. Col. Adekunle Fajuyi—returned from church last Sunday to find her family home reduced to rubble.

The late Lt. Fajuyi was the military governor of the old western region, now comprised of present-day Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States.

The demolition, allegedly ordered by her own husband, a senior lawyer, has left the 69-year-old grandmother, her daughter, and grandchild homeless with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Speaking through tears, Mrs. Fajuyi recounted how she and her husband transformed the unfinished property left by the late military governor into a family home.

“When we married in 1981, we came to Ado-Ekiti with nothing. That unfinished building was all Baba left.

“I was teaching at Emmanuel Anglican School while running a catering business—every naira went into completing this house,” she said, her voice breaking.

Her sister, Chief Yinka Agbebi, provided critical support. “She saw my baby sleeping under a leaking roof during rain and said ‘This won’t do!’ The next day, trucks arrived with 2,000 blocks, gravel, cement—everything. That’s how we finished what Baba started.”

He Wanted to Sell Our History
The crisis began after her mother-in-law’s death. “Donald came to me saying he’s sick and poor—that we must sell the house. I told him ‘Over my dead body!’ This isn’t just bricks—it’s the only physical legacy of a man who governed six states!”

Court documents reveal a bitter legal battle, with a judge ruling the property a matrimonial home that couldn’t be sold without mutual consent.

“The law is clear,” Mrs. Fajuyi stated, waving a mud-stained court paper rescued from the debris. “But he kept bringing buyers, telling them ‘Don’t mind that woman.'”

“They Came Like Armed Robbers”
The Sunday demolition was executed with military precision.

“I was at morning service when my daughter got the call. We rushed back to see soldiers guarding bulldozers. I asked ‘Who sent you?’ They said ‘Orders from above.'”

At the police station, Donald allegedly confessed. “He wrote it down—’I authorized the demolition.’ After 44 years of marriage, this is how he repays me? All my catering equipment, family photos, even the children’s certificates—gone!”

*”We Sleep Like Refugees”
The family now takes shelter with neighbors. “My granddaughter keeps asking ‘Mama, where’s my school uniform?’ What do I tell her?” Mrs. Fajuyi asked, adjusting the borrowed wrapper draped over her shoulders.

Despite her ordeal, she remains defiant. “Let the world see what’s become of Fajuyi’s legacy. That house held the memories of a hero—now it’s a pile of concrete where lizards hide.”

*Reactions and Next Steps
Human rights lawyer Festus Ogun condemned the action: “This violates multiple court orders and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act. We’re preparing contempt charges.”

Historians have appealed to the Ekiti State government. Prof. Banji Akintoye stated: “Fajuyi’s home is a national heritage site. Its destruction is an attack on our collective memory.”

Mrs. Fajuyi has one request: “Tell Nigerians—can a man who swore to protect me in church destroy everything we built? Let God judge between us.”

Who was Lt. Col. Fajuyi?

Adekunle Fajuyi was a Nigerian soldier and hero of the 1966 retaliatory military coup. Born on June 26, 1926, in Ado-Ekiti, he joined the Army in 1943 as a non-commissioned officer.

Fajuyi’s bravery and selflessness were evident throughout his career, earning him several awards, including the British Empire Medal in 1951 and the Military Cross in 1961.

Fajuyi’s military career was marked by several notable achievements.

He was the first indigenous Battalion Commander of the 1st Battalion in Enugu and later became the Garrison Commander in Abeokuta.

After the overthrow of Tafawa Balewa’s government, Fajuyi became the first Military Administrator of the Western Region on January 17, 1966.

Fajuyi’s ultimate sacrifice came on July 29, 1966, when he volunteered to die with his boss, General Aguiyi Ironsi, during a coup led by TY Danjuma.

Fajuyi’s famous last words, “Mark my words, whatever happens to you today, happens to me,” demonstrate his unwavering loyalty and bravery.

He was posthumously awarded the Nigerian National Honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) in 2014.

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