The former Chief of General Staff (CGS), Lt- General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (retd) is dead
According to his son, Barrister Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, the former Military Administrator passed onto glory in the early hours of 26th March, 2023.
According a statement released early on Sunday morning read in part:
“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 Donalds on Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (Rtd) GCON, LLB, BL, PSC, FSS, mni.
“Our dear Daddy passed onto glory in the early hours of March 26, 2023.
Please keep us in your prayers as we mourn his demise in this period. Further announcements will be made public in due course.
He was born on April 3, 1944 in Odogbolu, Ogun State. Donaldson Oladipo Diya served as Chief of the General Staff, under 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 was admitted into the Nigerian 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 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 held other top military posts like GOC, 82 Division, Enugu and finally the Chief of General Staff (military Vice President) to Gen Sani Abacha.
While being the CGS, he was arrested for planning a coup to unseat Abacha.
He was thereafter condemned to death by firing squad along Maj.-Gen Abdulkarim Adisa on April 28 1998 but got his friend after the demise of Gen Sani Abacha.
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