Nigeria’s ex-Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Joshua Dogonyaro (Rtd) has passed on.
Dogonyaro served in different capacities in the Nigerian Army. He was the Field Commander of Economic Community of West African States (ECOMOG) monitoring group in Liberia.
He’s famed for announcing the coup that removed incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari from power in 1985.
Dogonrayo was reported to have red the coup speech that ousted the Buhari military junta and brought in the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida junta on August 27, 1985.
Confirming the news of his death to journalists, Thursday, his first son, Joseph Dongoyaro said the military administrator has been ill before his demise.
He said: “Daddy has been sick for some time until yesterday when he had a stroke and we rushed him to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical attention.
“Unfortunately, early this morning of Thursday, around 3.00am precisely, he breathed his last and died.
“His death comes as a rude shock to us as a family. We are going to miss his love and warmth as a grandfather, father, brother, uncle and supporter.”
According to him, the corpse has been deposited at the Air Force hospital mortuary.
Dogonyaro, a soldier and an administrator, was born on September 12, 1940 in Vom, Plateau State.
He is a native of Taroh in Langtang North Local Government Area. He was a Minister of Defence in Late General Sani Abacha’s regime.
He had his early education at Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri and enlisted in the Nigerian Army in1964.
He was commissioned Second-Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps, 1967; Officer Commanding, 1 Recce Squadron, NA, 1967-69; Quartermaster General, I Infantry Division (Main), N, 1969-70.
