General Diya Dies At 78

A former Military Chief of General Staff, General Oladipo Diya (rtd), has died at 78. Oyesinmilola Diya, in a statement signed on behalf of the family, said the late general died in the early hours of Sunday.

Diya was the Chief of the General Staff, ( de facto Vice President of Nigeria ) under military head of state General Sani Abacha from 1994 until his arrest for treason in 1997.

He was arrested and sentenced to death for alleged treason in 1997 but regained freedom after Abacha died in 1998.

Oladipo Diya was born on 3 April 1944 at Odogbolu , ^[ Ogun State, then Western Region, Nigeria . He was educated at the Methodist Primary School, Lagos , the Odogbolu Grammar School.

His burial arrangements will be announced by his family. Details later