Former Vice President of Nigeria, General Donaldson Oladipo Diya, has passed away at the age of 79.
General Diya 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.
The news of his death was shared on social media in a message signed by one of his children, Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on behalf of the family. The message stated that the General passed away in the early hours of Sunday, March 26.
It read, “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 (retd) 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.”
In 1993, Diya was appointed the Chief of General Staff by General Sani Abacha, who had seized power in a military coup. As Chief of General Staff, Diya was the second-in-command in the military government, and he played a key role in the government’s decision-making process.
In 1997, Diya was arrested and charged with plotting to overthrow the Abacha government. He was tried and sentenced to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. He was released from prison in 1998 after the death of Abacha and the restoration of civilian rule in Nigeria.
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