A former Chief of General Staff, in the Late Gen Sani Sani Abacha Lt. Administration, Gen Oladipo Diya is dead.
He died at the age of 78, eight days to his 79th birthday. He was born on April 3, 1944 at Odogbolu, Ogun State.
The Diya family made the announcement of his death in a statement by Barrister Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on behalf of the family
The family said that former number two man in the country passed on in the early hours of Sunday.
“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.” The statement read
Diya was Chief of the General Staff, under military Head of State General Sani Abacha from 1994 to 1997 when he was arrested for treason.
The Ogun State born general was also Chief of Defence Staff and was Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985.
Diya was later later sentenced to death by firing squad in April 1998 by a military tribunal headed by Gen Victor Malu in Jos.
In his defence, Diya maintain that Gen Musa Bamaiyi, a close ally of Abacha framed him up having approached him with the idea of mounting a coup.
Diya’s death sentence was commuted by the Gen Abdusalami Abubakar, who succeeded General Abacha in 1998.