Lt. General Oladipo Diya, a de facto Vice President of Nigeria during the Sani Abacha military junta died on Sunday, just a few days before his 79th birthday. Here are 10 things to know about him.
1. Oladipo Diya was born on April 3rd, 1944 in Odogbolu, Ogun State but started his education in Lagos; he attended Yaba Methodist School, Lagos from 1950 to 1956 but became a pioneer student of Odogbolu Grammar School, where he studied between 1957 to 1962.
2. He is one of the pioneer students of the Nigeria Defense Academy when he enrolled at the military school in 1964.
The foremost military institution just changed its name from Nigeria Military College to NDA and Diya was part of the NDA Course 1. He did not even partake in the entry exams because of his excellent O’Level results, considered one of the best in the country at the time.
3. General Diya was a lawyer after graduating from the Law Department of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained an LLB degree, and then at the Nigerian Law School, where he was called to bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
4. General Muhammadu Buhari appointed him the sole administrator and Governor of Ogun State, a position he held from January 1984 to August 1985.
5. He held other top positions in the Army including General Officer Commanding 82 Division, in 1985; Commandant, National War College (1991–1993) before he was named the Chief of Defence Staff.
6. General Sani Abacha appointed him the Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994. As Chief of the General Staff, he was the de facto Vice President of Nigeria, a position he held until 1997.
7. He was accused of plotting a coup to overthrow his boss, Abacha. He was tried alongside other officers including Major-General Abdulkareem Adisa `and Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju. They were found guilty by a Tribunal led by General Victor Malu and were sentenced to death by firing squad. His death sentence was commuted by General Abdulsalam Abubakar who took over from Abacha following the sudden death of the dictator.
8. Diya had earlier escaped two assassination attempts from bomb blasts one of which happened at the airport in Abuja on his way to Makurdi, Benue State. He was arrested for coup plotting two weeks after the last assassination attempt on his life.
9. General Diya was polygamous despite being a Christian and the son of a pastor. he married two wives, the first being Madam Josephine while Folashade was the second. The second wife died in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The woman was said to have died from coronavirus complications.
10. Diya has a son who has become a senior officer in the Nigerian Army. Colonel Sola Diya is the son of the late General.
