Readers' Forum
15 December 1999
From all definitions, Gen. Oladipo Diya is a coupist and he is guilty as charged. While we are grateful to God for sparing his life, however, from all the evidence, as far as marshal law is concerned, he was and still guilty of coup plotting.
In general, coup plotting starts with few persons convincing some of their folks about their intentions to overthrow the government, often giving all sorts of reasons imaginable, but to all intents and purposes often to advance their ambition and reign.
The philosophy and ofcourse, the law stipulates that when you hear about impending move to overthrow the federal government, whether military or civilian or directly or indirectly involved, especially as a member of executive, you're obligated to inform the presidency. If you fail to do so particularly because you're going to be a beneficiary if the coup succeeds, you are certainly guilty if the plot fails. There is no way to decifer a "real" or "fake" coup plot. Insofar you knowingly become a participant in a plot to overthrow the government, it's irrelevant if the plot is 'real' or 'fake' and you failed to notify the government, you are guilty not only by the standards of marshal law but also by democratic law standards. Much more, if you are number 2 man and you consented to the plot of overthrowing Abacha's regime with a view to "becoming the head of state that would command the support and respect of the high-ranking officers" Gen. Oladipo Diya is 100 percent guilty as charged.
If Diya were innocent, why did he not notify the head of state when he was approached to support the "fake" coup? When he was told that "the top military personel had decided to remove Abacha because of his evil deeds and that he(Diya) had been chosen to head the country", Gen. Diya not only welcome the idea but also personally got involved. He painstakingly recruited many other officers including Maj. Gen Adisa et al. Also, he provided funding for a significant aspect of the ill-fated project. It's a complete nonsense for Diya's purported "setup" by Abacha and Bamaiyi.
I am delighted he is alive and now a committed christian, I am strongly opposed to restoring his military honors whichever way one looks at it. His action and level of involvement in the said coup was no different from those of Maj. Gen Mamman Vasta and Maj. Gideon Orkar who received the ultimate capital punishment from another culpist, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. That's the military tradition which Diya could not feign ignorance. I would like Diya to just shut up and go and enjoy some of his loots of the treasury.
Chike Ideyi,
M.D. New York, USA.
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