- One of Nigeria’s former senior military leaders, Lt-General Oladipo Diya (Rtd), has passed on at the age of 79
- Diya who served as a Chief of Staff to the former head of state Sani Abacha died in the early hours of Sunday, March 26
- Barrister Prince Oyesinmilola Diya who announced the death on behalf of the family said other necessary announcements will be made public in due course
Lt-General Oladipo Diya (Rtd), a former Chief of General Staff (CGS) to the former head of state Sani Abacha, is dead.
General Diya, as he was popularly known, died in the early hours of Sunday, March 26.
His death was disclosed in a statement on behalf of the family by Barrister Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, The Nation reported.
Photo credit: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP
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“On behalf of the entire Diya family home and abroad; We announce the passing on to Glory of our dear Husband, father, grandfather, brother, Lt-General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (Rtd) GCON, LLB, BL, PSC, FSS, mni,” the statement quoted by TheCable reads.
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“Our dear Daddy passed onto glory in the early hours of 26th March 2023.
“Please keep us in your prayers as we mourn his demise in this period. Further announcements will be made public in due course.”
Who is Lt General Oladipo Diya?
calabargistblog.com.ng gathers that the former military governor of Ogun state was born on April 3, 1944.
Diya joined the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna and fought during the Civil War.
The deceased later attended the US Army School of Infantry, the Command and Staff College, Jaji (1980–1981) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
While serving in the military, Diya studied law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained an LLB degree.
He proceeded to Law School where he was called to the bar as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Diya and the alleged plan to unseat Abacha
Diya served as the chief of general staff and defacto second in command to former head of state Sani Abacha between 1994 and 1997.
He was arrested and sentenced to death for alleged treason in 1997; he was accused of planning a trumped-up coup to unseat Abacha.
Diya was tried in a military tribunal where he was given the death penalty.
Abacha, however, died before Diya’s execution date and the administration of Abdulsalami Abubakar commuted the sentence and the general was released.
Family mourns as Sani Abacha’s second-to-last son dies at 36 in Abuja
In another report, Abdullahi Abacha, the second to the last son of the late Nigerian military ruler Sani Abacha, died aged 36.
Family sources said Abdullahi died peacefully at the family’s Nelson Mandela Street residence in Abuja.
“He was hale and hearty last night but was found dead this morning. He died peacefully in his sleep,” a source said.
Source: calabargistblog.com.ng
