A former Military Governor of old Ondo State (now Ondo and Ekiti States), Major General Ekundayo Babakayode Opaleye (rtd), has died.
The Point learnt that he died on Saturday morning in Abeokuta, Ogun State, of heart attack.
He was the Military Governor of the old Ondo State from August 1986 to 1987, during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
He took over from late Admiral Mike Akhigbe before handing over to Commodore Olabode Ibiyinka George.
Till he died, General Opaleye was the Balogun Erunmu, Owu, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
As a Colonel, Opaleye was a member of a Special Military Tribunal set up in 1986 to try officers accused of plotting a coup against Babangida in December 1985.
In August 1986 he was appointed the Military Governor of old Ondo State, holding office until December 1987.
General Opaleye was appointed commander of the OAU Neutral Military Organization Group set up in 1991 to enforce a cease fire between the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front and the Hutu-dominated Rwandan government.
NMOG had the limited mandate of creating a buffer zone between the rebels and the government troops.
In 1993 NMOG was integrated into the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda.
The late General Opaleye played a big role in the conclusion of the ARUSHA talks that led to the Peace Agreement signed on August 4, 1993.
