Lt. General Oladipo Diya, former Chief of General Staff under the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha has been confirmed dead at age 79.
The deceased son, Prince Oyesinmilola Diya in a statement said that the general died on Sunday morning.
The statement read, “On behalf of the entire Diya family home and abroad; we announce the passing on to the 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.”
Diya, who lived between April 1944 and March 26, 2023, was a Nigerian general who served as Chief of the General Staff under the military head of state General Sani Abacha from 1994 until his arrest for treason in 1997. He previously served as Chief of Defence Staff and was Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985.
Diya, who hailed from Odoogbolu was educated at the Methodist Primary School, Lagos, the Odogbolu Grammar School.
Diya joined the Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian Civil War. He later attended the US Army School of Infantry, the Command and Staff College, Jaji (1980-1981) and the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. While serving in the military, Diya studied law at Ahmedu 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.
Oladipo Diya was Commander 31, Airborne Brigade. He was appointed Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985. He became General Officer Commanding the 82 Division, Nigeria Army in 1985. General Oladipo Diya was Commandant, National War College (1991–1993) and then was appointed Chief of Defence Staff.
He was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994.
In 1997, Diya and some other soldiers in the military allegedly planned to overthrow the regime of Abacha.
The alleged coup was uncovered by forces loyal to Abacha and Diya and his cohorts were jailed. Diya was tried in a military tribunal and was given the death penalty. Upon the untimely death of Abacha in 1998, Diya was pardoned by the former military head, General Abdusalami Abubakar, who succeeded Abacha.
