Oladipo Diya, a former lieutenant general in the Nigerian Army, was the Chief of General Staff during former Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha’s military regime in Nigeria from 1993 to 1997.
He was born on April 3, 1944 in Odogbolu, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Here are five things worthy of note about the late Lieutenant General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya.
Army General: In 1964, Diya enlisted in the Nigerian Army and quickly advanced through the ranks, performing a variety of duties both inside and outside of Nigeria. He took part in United Nations peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, Cyprus, and the Congo. He also worked for the Nigerian High Commission in India as a military attaché.
General Sani Abacha, who had seized control of the Nigerian government through a military coup, appointed Diya to the position of Chief of General Staff in 1993. Diya played a vital role in the government as the second-in-command, supervising the military and security operations.
Military Trial: He was arrested and detained in 1997 after he was charged with taking part in a military coup d’état to overthrow General Abacha. He was subsequently tried and sentenced to death by a military tribunal, along with several other officers. However, the sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by General Abacha, who died in 1998. Diya maintained his innocence and claimed that he was forced to confess under duress.
He was freed from jail after Abacha’s death by the new military regime headed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Not only was Lieutenant General Diya freed, but he was also expelled from the army, stripped of his rank, and prohibited from using his military title.
Businessman: Until his death on the 26th of March, 2023, he was engaged in a number of business endeavours and philanthropic activities. He is the founder and head of the conglomerate Diya Fatimilehin Group, which has business ventures in agriculture, tourism, real estate, and energy.
Religious Adherent: He was a committed member of the United Methodist Evangelical Church in Nigeria.
Education Enthusiast: He is credited with organising a public English-speaking annual competition for Ogun public and private schools. He also held a public library forum, constructed an IT Education Resource Centre at Odogbolu and awarded several scholarship awards to indigent students.
Since his passing, tributes have been pouring in from various Nigerian political leaders with the Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun hinting that Diya would be given a state burial.