Retired Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi is “one of the heroes” of the 1988 coup d'état, says former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed, the current parliament speaker, said this via Twitter on Tuesday, as Maldives marks 31 years since the defeat of the attempted to coup which saw around 80 mercenaries from the Tamil militant group launch a frontal assault on the country’s military headquarters; 19 Maldivians including army officers.

Nasheed, in his tweet, expressed “joy” in being able to personally extend the day’s greetings to the retired general. They met in Hithadhoo district in Addu City, the speaker’s last stop in the sourthermost atolls’ tour.

Didi was corporal during the 1988 coup attempt.

According to interviews to local media outlets, Corporal Didi was instructed to go and protect then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom at a private residence following the attack.

While most of the soldiers were in the military base, which was being attacked, Didi was later ordered to go to the Deputy Minister’s house to find the armoury keys as the ammunition began to run out.

He is to have disguised himself as a schoolboy to enter the house, as it was cordoned off by the enemy, where two soldiers were captured and tied up; these soldiers are to have attempted to dissuade him from entering the house. Didi is to have proceeded inside, found the armoury keys which he threw over the wall to the MNDF headquarters.

He was awarded a Medal for Exceptional Bravery, for his services.

Didi describes martyr Corporal Hussein Adam -assigned to one of two security posts at the main gate, and held the attackers back for as long as he could in turn giving the soldiers inside time to prepare for a counter attack- as “the savior of the nation”.