Lt. General Oladipo Diya, former Chief of General Staff under the late HeadΒ of State, General Sani Abacha, is dead.
His death was announced in a statement by his son, Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on Sunday morning.
It read, βOn 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 (rtd) GCON, LLB, BL, PSC, FSS, mni.
βOur 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.β
The former Chief of General Staff was born on April 3, 1944 at Odogbolu in Ogun State.
Diya joined theΒ Nigerian Defence Academy,Β KadunaΒ and fought during theΒ Nigerian Civil War.
He was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994.Β AsΒ Chief of the General Staff, he was second in command and theΒ de factoΒ vice presidentΒ ofΒ Nigeria under Abacha from 1994.
Diya lost his wife, Folashade, in May of 2020.
