Nigeria, March 27 -- The Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun, has commiserated with the people of the state, the Nigerian Army, and friends and associates of former deputy military head of state, Oladipo Diya.

Mr Diya, who was the chief of general staff to General Sani Abacha from 1993 until his arrest for alleged involvement in an abortive coup in 1997, died on Sunday morning. He would have turned 79 on 3 April.

Governor Abiodun, through a statement by his chief press secretary, Kunle Somorin, described Mr Diya as a seasoned administrator, gentleman and officer who made contributions to the development of the security architecture of Nigeria.

The governor said his memory will remain indelible, appealing to other notable soldiers to cont...