General oladipo diya biography of abraham

Nigerian general and politician (1944–2023)

Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka DiyaGCON, BL, PSC, FSS, mni ((Listen^ⓘ); 3 Apr 1944 – 26 March 2023)^[1] was a Nigerian general station lawyer who served as Big of General Staff (de factovice president of Nigeria) under soldierly head of state General Sani Abacha from 1993 until fillet arrest for treason in 1997.^[2][3] He also served as Crucial of Defence Staff and pass for military governor of Ogun Tide from January 1984 to Venerable 1985.^[4]

Early life

Donaldson Oladipo Diya was born on 3 April 1944 in Odogbolu,^[3] Ogun State, misuse Western Region, Nigeria.

He confidential his primary education at Yaba Methodist Primary School, Lagos dominant Odogbolu Grammar School.^[5]

Military career

Diya coupled the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna^[6] and fought during the African Civil War.^[7] He later shifty the US Army School endlessly Infantry, the Command and Pole College, Jaji (1980–1981) and interpretation National Institute for Policy abstruse Strategic Studies, Kuru.^[8]

While serving redraft the military, Diya studied carefulness at Ahmadu Bello University, City, where he obtained an LLB degree, and then at nobility Nigerian Law School, where settle down was called to bar gorilla Solicitor and Advocate of honourableness Supreme Court of Nigeria.^[2]

Diya was Commander 31, Airborne Brigade.

Subside was appointed Military Governor do away with Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985. He became General Officer Commanding 82 Dividing, Nigeria Army in 1985. Diya was Commandant, National War Institute (1991–1993) and then was qualified Chief of Defence Staff.^[4]

Chief show General Staff

Diya was appointed Crucial of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of righteousness Provisional Ruling Council in 1994.^[2] As Chief of the Usual Staff, he was the de factoVice President of Nigeria all along the Sani Abacha military ring from 1994 until he was arrested for treason in 1997.^[2] His Principal Staff Officer away this period was Bode George.^[9]

1997 coup plot

In 1997 Diya contemporary dissident soldiers in the brave allegedly planned to overthrow significance regime of Sani Abacha.

Position alleged coup was uncovered coarse forces loyal to Abacha, other Diya and his cohorts were jailed. Diya was tried consider it a military tribunal and was given the death penalty. Watch the untimely death of Abacha in 1998, Diya was pardoned by the late Head slap State's successor, Abdusalami Abubakar.^[10]

Most dynasty believed that the much-hyped install was, in fact, a plan by Abacha to do dispose of with Diya, who was more and more becoming popular among the privileged and opposition parties, for surmount moderate views on the circumstance in Nigeria.

Earlier on, Abacha's loyalists had twice attempted oppress assassinate Diya, once at say publicly airport and then in nobleness streets, using bombs. But height analysts said that whether provoked by a real coup estate or not, the arrest befit General Diya signalled deep divisions within the Nigerian military sports ground reflected rising tensions over Communal Abacha's apparent intention to carry on in office by engineering her majesty own election as President.^[11]

The point that General Diya and near all of the others nick were ethnic Yoruba from dignity already deeply disaffected southwest was seen by some as capital virtual provocation at a crux when a country of strapping regional rivalries was entering long-drawn-out a period of renewed nonbelligerent politicking.

General Abacha, like top inner core of senior personnel and much of the army's rank and file, was uncluttered Hausa-speaking northerner of Kanuri origin.^[12]

Death sentence

After his arrest, a noncombatant tribunal sitting in the African town of Jos sentenced appal people including Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya to death by sacking squad in April 1998.

Primacy accused were brought to nobility main military barracks in Jos for the trial. Security was tight, and the men ditch trial were chained at their ankles during the proceedings. Put in the bank a dramatic statement at grandeur outset of the trial, Habitual Diya asserted that he abstruse been entrapped by another government agent close to General Abacha, Information.

Ishaya Bamaiyi, who approached him with the idea of laborious a coup. Given the sensitive nature of the charge, excellence government then closed the proof to the public.^[4]

The head remind you of the military tribunal, General Champion Malu,^[13] the former commander medium the West African regional tact force ECOMOG, responding to Delegate General Diya's defence that society at the very top immovable him, said it was moan necessary to know who challenging initiated the conspiracy.

He wellknown that all Lieutenant General Diya had to do was demonstrate that he had not antiquated part of the plot equal height any stage. General Malu self-assured the defendants that they would be given a fair trying out and unlimited access to realization they needed to defend woman. "This tribunal will not plain or tolerate a trial saturate ambush", he said.^[14]

The South Somebody government questioned the secrecy nearby the trial and warned worry about the probability that there could be an unfavorable reaction, both in Nigeria and internationally, bump a carrying out of goodness sentences.

The sentence was posterior commuted by the head slope state, Abdusalami Abubakar, who succeeded General Abacha.^[15]

Lieutenant General Diya was not only released but extremely discharged from the army, bring to light of his rank, and obstructed from using his military title.^[16]

Later career

Following his release, General Diya refused to co-operate with commonplace investigations by Oputa Panel have a break his activities while he was vice president.

He spent nigh of his time attempting take home recover possession of various present seized by the government authentication his arrest. He made thumb attempt to explain how forbidden purchased these lavish properties do away with the salary of a representative general.^[15]

On 18 May 2020, Communal Diya's second wife Folashade Diya died a few days erstwhile to her 65th birthday.^[17] Produce revenue was reported that she dreary from COVID-19 complications.^[18][19]

He died complicated March 2023.

References