Gen. Oladipo Diya biography, age, Sani Abacha, wife, death, life
Gen. Oladipo Diya biography, age, Sani Abacha, spouse, demise, life.
Donaldson Oladipo Diya (born 3 April 1944) is a retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant General. He held the position of Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 until August 1985.
He acted as the de facto Vice President of Nigeria during the military rule of Sani Abacha from 1994 until his arrest for treason in 1997 while serving as Chief of the General Staff.
During this period, his primary staff officer was Bode George, who later endured a turbulent political career with the People’s Democratic Party after democracy was reinstated in 1999.
Oladipo Diya Biography & Profile Overview
Diya attended Yaba Methodist School in Lagos from 1950 to 1956 and then went to Odogbolu as a pioneering student from 1957 to 1962. He was also enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna.
While serving in the military, Diya pursued legal studies, initially at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, where he obtained an LLB, followed by attendance at the Nigerian Law School, where he was admitted to the bar as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Full Name
Oladipo Diya
Occupation
Politician
Age
79
Date of Birth
April 3, 1944
Place of Birth
Ogun (state), Nigeria
Star Sign
Aries
Country
Nigeria
Gender
Male
Oladipo Diya Career
Diya enlisted in the Nigerian Army as a direct entry recruit in 1964, having been exempted from the qualifying examination due to his results from the West African Senior School Certificate. In March 1967, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after three and a half years of rigorous military training at the Academy.
Since his commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in 1967, Diya has occupied various roles. He served as a Platoon Commander of the 6th Battalion, Ikeja until 1968, when he took the position of Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Army’s 101 Battalion. Additionally, between 1973 and 1976, he was the Deputy Adjutant-General and Director of Personnel Services for the Nigerian Army.
Brigadier Diya commanded the Nigerian contingent in the United Nations Interim Force’s Peace Keeping Operations in Lebanon in 1980. Concurrently, he held the role of Chief Military Personnel Officer for the entire United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Oladipo Diya – Coup Attempt Unsuccessful
Diya and rebel soldiers in the military purportedly conspired to topple Sani Abacha’s regime in 1997. Forces loyal to Abacha uncovered the supposed coup, leading to the imprisonment of Diya and his associates. Diya was tried by military tribunal and sentenced to death. After Abacha’s untimely death in 1998, Diya was not pardoned by his successor, Abdusalami Abubakar.
Many believed that the heavily publicized coup was a ruse by Abacha to eliminate Diya, who was becoming popular among the elite and opposition for his moderate stance on the Nigerian situation. Abacha’s supporters previously attempted to assassinate Diya twice, once at the airport and once on the streets. Analyzing the situation, many experts concluded that Diya’s arrest revealed significant rifts within the Nigerian military and highlighted rising tensions regarding General Abacha’s apparent intentions to maintain power by orchestrating his own election as President.
According to the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, a prominent Nigerian human rights activist, “almost everyone named in the alleged coup was an Abachaboy, an Abacha henchman, so the scenario is quite amusing.” We lack clarity on the facts. We seek the comprehensive story. The late Chief Fawehinmi was cited in the Lagos daily The Post Express.
The reality that General Diya and nearly all others detained were ethnic Yoruba from the already marginalized southwest was perceived by some as a significant provocation during a time when the nation divided by strong regional rivalries was resuming civilian governance. General Abacha was a Hausa-speaking northerner, as were his close circle of senior officers and a large part of the army’s rank and file.
Oladipo Diya – Death Penalty
Upon his arrest, a military tribunal in the Nigerian town of Jos condemned six individuals to death by firing squad in April 1998, including Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya. The accused were brought to the primary military barracks in Jos for the trial, during which the men were shackled hand and foot due to enhanced security measures.
General Diya asserted in a dramatic assertion at the opening of the trial that he had been set up by another officer closely associated with General Abacha, Gen. Ishaya Bamayi, who approached him with the plot to conduct a coup. Due to the sensitivity surrounding the charges, the government subsequently closed the trial to the public. General Victor Malu, former leader of the West African regional peacekeeping force ECOMOG, stated that knowing who initiated the conspiracy was unnecessary in response to Lieutenant General Diya’s defense that he was framed by top officials.
He noted that all Lieutenant General Diya had to prove was that he was not involved in the conspiracy at any moment. General Malu promised the defendants a fair hearing and unfettered access to the information needed for their defense. He asserted, “This tribunal will not engage in or accept an ambush trial.”
The South African government questioned the secrecy of the trial and warned of potentially adverse reactions, both domestically and internationally, if the sentences were executed. Ultimately, the sentence was later commuted by Abdusalami Abubakar, who succeeded General Abacha as the Head of State.
Oladipo Diya’s Personal Life
General Diya is married to two women despite being a Christian and the son of a pastor. On this subject, he remarked, “The matter of wives varies based on denomination. You belong to a denomination that won’t even allow marriage, so if someone speaks of two wives and you possess one, why not follow the example of the Catholics and refrain from marriage entirely?
Take a wife, the Bible states, for those aspiring to be Canons. In other words, those seeking to be Canons or Bishops should only have one wife. When inquired about a woman who married seven siblings from the same family, Jesus responded that there is no such thing as marriage in heaven. This discussion on marriage concludes here, hence the choice concerning wives is left to individuals as long as one’s heart remains pure, as Jesus also stated, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Oladipo Diya’s Passing
On 26th March 2023, it was reported that Lt. General Oladipo Diya, former Chief of General Staff under the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has passed away.
The announcement of his death was made by his son, Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on Sunday morning.
It stated;
On behalf of the entire Diya family, both domestic and overseas; we announce the transition to glory of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, Lt-General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (rtd) GCON, LLB, BL, PSC, FSS, mni.
Our cherished Daddy entered into glory in the early hours of 26th March 2023. Please remember us in your thoughts as we grieve his passing during this time. Further announcements will be made available in due course.
