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Diya plotted coup, to abduct Abacha in Enugu- Fadipe
Late Lt. General Oladipo Diya, who served as Chief of General Staff, plotted a military coup, with plans to abduct his principal, General Sani Abacha, then Head of State and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
According to retired Major Seun Fadipe, who was Chief Security Officer, CSO, to Diya, the planned forceful takeover of government was to be executed in 1997 and to be carried out while Abacha was in Enugu, south East of the country.
Fadipe made the revelation while appearing as a guest on the Friday edition of Inside Sources, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television. The programme is anchored by Laolu Akande, former Senior Special Adviser to Vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo
Fadipe recalled how Diya and other coup plotters wanted to abduct Abacha and force him to resign in Enugu but the then head of state caught wind of the development and aborted the trip at the last hour.
He said, “There was a coup, whether it was now a phantom one or it was a setup, it’s immaterial now because that’s the problem I had with my boss until he died. I was a major, if I wanted to be involved in a coup as a major, it would be a violent coup because there was no way I would do a palace coup because I had a lot of seniors ahead of me. I never planned any coup, I never intended to plan any coup but I got involved through my boss.”
“As of that time, Abacha was doing well but because he wanted to transmit to a civilian regime, things went haywire.”
Fadipe said it would have been easy for Diya and his co-coup plotters to take over in Abuja and control things from the nation’s capital but “maybe it was just providence or he (Abacha) got some information because all his advance parties had gone to the airport” yet he aborted the trip at the last minute.
“On the 9th of December 1997, we got to the office, and after the pleasantries with my boss, the ADC left. Once the ADC leaves, I will give my boss the security briefing for the period and after, he said: ‘Are you sure all is well?’ That was before the bomb attempt on the 13th of December 1997. That was the first time he told me directly that something was in the offing.
“A day before then, the Chief of Army Training Conference just took off in Enugu, and Abacha, being the C-in-C was supposed to open the event. The man had left the Villa and then on his way to the airport, all of a sudden, the man came back.
“So, after some time, my boss called me and told me that the man aborted his trip and he was back in the villa. My boss was a bit worried. I don’t know what was going on at that time. So I asked my boss to be on standby maybe the guy would still go back but to my surprise, that never happened.
“In the evening, Ishaya Bamiyi (then army chief) came to General Diya’s office. So, we were wondering, the chief of army staff, what’s he doing here? He was supposed to be in Enugu. So when he (Bamiyi) left, my boss called me and asked me to call him General Adisa.
“By then, Adisa had been removed as the Minister of Works and Housing. I called General Adisa and he came in almost immediately, this time around he was almost in mufti. So, on his way out, the man was asking me some questions but he discovered I was not privy to it.
“The next morning, my boss told me and a few security people: ‘If Oga had travelled yesterday, he would have been arrested and there would have been a change of government’. I just knew I was in trouble. He said if he (Abacha) had gone to Enugu, he would have been abducted and forced to resign and there would have been a change of government.”
Fadipe said he didn’t betray his former boss, stressing that he never disclosed any of the coup plans to the authorities.
“There was no way I would have betrayed my boss. A lot of things happened when we came out of detention; he was trying to malign me and all of that but I just know he was a man that was struggling to survive,” he said.
Fadipe and Diya, alongside over 200 others were arrested for treason and detained after the failed coup plot in 1997. Diya was tried by the military tribunal and was handed the death penalty but he was pardoned, alongside Fadipe, and others, by Abacha’s successor, Abdusalami Abubakar, after the sudden demise of Abacha in 1998. Diya died in March 2023 at the age of 78.
….The Commission wants IGP to address use of excessive force by police
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN, has strongly condemned the alleged extrajudicial killing of a 28-year-old Nigerian, Mene Ogidi, by a police officer, ASP Nuhu Usman, on April 26, 2026, in Efurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Dr. Ojukwu described the incident as “deeply disturbing and a direct assault on human dignity, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the rule of law.”
He stressed that no Nigerian should lose their life at the hands of those sworn to protect them, reiterating that every life matters and must be protected.
According to him, “the reported action of the officer involved is condemnable, unacceptable, and completely inconsistent with the principles of justice and a civilized society.”
The statement which was signed by Hajia Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, quoted Ojukwu to have expressed grave concern over the recurring incidents of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers and called on the Nigeria Police Force to take urgent and decisive steps to address the issue.
He specifically urged the police authorities to subject officers deployed on special duties to periodic mental and psychological evaluations to ensure they are fit to carry arms and engage with civilians responsibly.
Dr. Ojukwu further called for the immediate disciplinary action against ASP Nuhu Usman in line with extant laws and police regulations.
He also emphasized the need for the Nigeria Police Force to fully implement the recommendations of the Commission’s Panel on Police Brutality as a necessary step toward meaningful reform and prevention of future violations.
“The Commission demands immediate arrest and a transparent investigation into the incident, dismissal of the officer involved, and swift prosecution in accordance with the law.
We hereby call for adequate compensation and justice for the family of the victim,” he stated.
He warned that justice delayed only deepens public distrust in state institutions and undermines confidence in law enforcement.
The Executive Secretary assured that the NHRC will continue to monitor the case closely and will persist in its advocacy for accountability, justice, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all Nigerians.
“Nigeria must never normalize brutality. Justice must speak louder than silence,” he concluded.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Thursday, deliver judgments in two cases involving the leadership crises rocking the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to information on the official website of the court, the matters, listed under “Political Appeals”, have been added to the cause list for Thursday, April 30, 2026.
While judgment in the ADC matter, marked SC/CV/180/2026, has been fixed for 2 pm, there is no time yet for that if the PDP.
President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of fifteen nominees to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The letter was read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The letter seeks the reconstitution of the commission’s board in line with statutory provisions with the list comprising nominees from diverse professional backgrounds, including the media and legal sectors.
Among the nominees are the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba; and Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been proposed as chairman of the board.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) is to retain his position as the Chief Executive Officer.
Other nominees include Mrs Roseline Tasha, Ambassador Adam Yubak Baku, ACG Felix Lawrence, Mr. Edmund Chinonye, Mr. Chinonye Obiaku (SAN), Oluwakemi Asiwaju Okere-Odo, Professor Adedeji Ogunji, Kingsley Chidozie, Mohammed Adelodu, Maupe Ogun Yusuf, and Otunba Francis Meshioye as members.
Also nominated are Patience Patrick and Hawwa Ibrahim, listed as members.
The President said the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers him to constitute the board subject to Senate confirmation.
He explained that the reconstitution of the board was necessary to enhance the commission’s institutional capacity and enable it to more effectively discharge its mandate to promote and protect human rights across the country.
If confirmed, the new board is expected to play a critical role in reinforcing the NHRC’s oversight functions, particularly at a time of heightened concerns over rights protection and accountability in Nigeria.
Following the presentation of the request, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening and report within two weeks.
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