Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has hailed former Defence Minister, Lt.-Gen. TY Danjuma (rtd) on his 82nd birthday.
He said that since calling time on his “illustrious military and administrative career”, the retired general has been preoccupied with another kind of war which involved poverty alleviation.
Atiku stated this in a terse message shared on his verified social media pages on Tuesday morning.
The 2019 PDP presidential candidate wrote, “Since the end of his illustrious military and administrative career, Gen. TY Danjuma has been preoccupied with a different kind of war.
“He has focused on lifting the lives of the most vulnerable.
“On behalf of my family, I celebrate with you and your family on your birthday.
“I pray for more years in good health in the service of humanity. Happy birthday, Sir.”
Born Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma on December 9, 1938, the retired general is a Jukun from Taraba State.
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He started his education at St Bartholomew’s Primary School in Wusasa and moved on to the Benue Provincial Secondary School in Katsina-Ala where he was the captain of the school cricket 1st XI team; he received his Higher School Certificate in 1958.
In 1959, TY Danjuma enrolled at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology in Zaria (Ahmadu Bello University) to study history on a Northern Nigeria Scholarship.
However, by the end of 1960, Danjuma had left the university to enroll in the Nigerian Army.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a second lieutenant but made captain three years after.
In 1966, Captain Danjuma was involved in the Nigerian Counter-Coup of 1966 with the 4th Battalion in Mokola, Ibadan. Oyo state In 1967, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel at the start of the civil war campaign towards Enugu, which was captured later that year.
Following his promotion to Colonel in 1971, he spent next two years with responsibility for court-martialling Army officers proven guilty of corruption and indiscipline.
In 1975 he was promoted to Brigadier and the position of General Officer Commanding (GOC), and in the following year, he became the Chief of Army Staff to the Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo.
He played a prominent role in supporting the president in resisting the Dimka Coup in 1976.
He retired from the Nigerian army in 1979.
Since his retirement, TY Danjuma has delved into private business with interest in shipping, oil and gas and other sectors.
He is regarded as one of Nigeria’s wealthiest men.
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