President Muhammadu Buhari has been left shell-shocked by the passing of Joshua Dogonyaro, a former Chief of Defense Staff and a former Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).

Dogonyaro played a prominent role during Nigeria's military era, famously delivering the coup address that sacked Muhammadu Buhari as military Head of State in 1985 and ushered in the eight-year reign of IBB.

He fell out with Gen Sani Abacha, who succeeded IBB, and was sacked as Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired, soon after IBB "stepped aside."

He died in the early hours of Thursday, May 13, 2021, aged 80.

In a statement issued through his spokesperson Garba Shehu, Buhari described the deceased as a “legendary general” and his passing as "a great loss not only to the Nigerian military but also to the country because of his patriotic sacrifices in defence of its unity and territorial integrity.

“The death of Dogonyaro comes as a great shock to me because as a soldier, I know what it means to lose such an officer and a gentleman who gave his best in the service of the country.

“Laying down one’s life for the country is one of the greatest sacrifices any citizen can make to his country. General Dogonyaro’s incalculable contributions will be remembered for years to come,” the president said.

The president also commiserated with the government and people of Plateau for the loss.