CITIZENS COMPASS– The family of former Chief of Staff.,General Oladipo Diya (rtd), on Sunday, mourned him following his demise at the age of 78.
The retired General would have been 79 years old on April 3, 2023 but death came calling on Sunday., March 25, 2023.
Oyesinmilola Diya, in a statement signed on behalf of the family, said the late general died in the early hours of Sunday.
Diya served as the chief of general staff to former Head of State, Sani Abacha between 1994 and 1997.
In 1997, he was arrested and sentenced to death for alleged treason but regained his freedom following the death of Abacha in 1998.
The statement reads, ” 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.
” 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. ”
said the statement.
Diya was born on Monday, 3 April, 1944 in Odogbolu, Ogun State in the then Western Region, Nigeria.
He attended Yaba Methodist School, Lagos between 1950 and1956 and thereafter proceeded to his hometown, Odogbolu, as a pioneer student of Odogbolu Grammar School, from 1957 – 1962.
He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian civil war.
He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in March 1967. He 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, and then at the Nigerian Law School, where he was called to Bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He became General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Nigeria Army in 1985 and Commandant, National War College (1991–1993)
He was the former Chief of General Staff, who served as deputy to the late dictator, Sani Abacha.
In 1997, Diya and dissident soldiers in the military allegedly planned to overthrow the regime of Sani Abacha.
The alleged coup was uncovered by forces loyal to Abacha, and Diya and his cohorts were jailed.
He was tried in a military tribunal and was sentenced to death but this was reversed following. the death of General Sani Abacha in 1998, Diya was pardoned by Sani’s sucessor, Abdusalami Abubakar.
He was Military Governor for Ogun State between January 1984 and August 1985.
