There are a lot of people from same family that have rise through the rank of Nigeria military but Musa and Ishaya Bamaiyi's case is different because they are they first and only two that got to the rank of generals.

Late Major General Musa Bamaiyi and Lieutenant General Ishaya Bamaiyi were born into a family of 12 children in which there were eight male children and four female children including two sets of twins. They are from Zuru, Kebbi state.

Ishaya is a committed Muslim while Musa was a committed Christian. Also, late Senator Danladi Bamiayi of 1999-2003 Senate was also a member of the family before his death.

Major General Musa Bamaiyi is the elder brother of General Ishaya and he got into the Nigerian Army in the year 1968 and he once acted as acting Governor of Benue state. He was later appointed as the chairman of NDLEA. He retired from military service in 1999 and died in 2007.

Lieutenant General Ishaya is the younger brother born in September 21, 1948. He got into Nigerian military via short serviced commissioned in 1978 as part of SSC4. After attending the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna and finished in 1968, he went for advanced traininga in United kingdom and united state. He held post like commanding officer 70 infantry battalion(1972-1977), Directing staff, command and staff college, Jaji and many more posts before he was ranked as a General.

In March 1996, he was appointed Chief of Army staff (COAS) by General Sanni Abacha. He held the post for 3 years till his retirement in May 1999.

However, problem started in the Bamaiyi family when Musa accused his brother Ishaya of having an affair with his wife, Ladi Bamaiyi. The problem suffered when one of Musa's daughter who was residing with her step mother in Zaria informed Musa that Ishaya is having thr carnal knowledge of his wife. This matter went beyond ordinary that Musa involved the human rights violation investigation commission led by Justice Chukwudifu Oputa. General Bamaiyi denied the allegation as he argued that he reside in Lagos while Ladi is at Zaria. He also argued that he was only caring by sending his brother's wife clothes and money. It was gathered that the problem between the two siblings remained unsettled till Musa Bamaiyi died on 17th April, 2007.

Also in 1999, General Ishaya was wrongly convicted for the attempted murder of Guardian newspaper owner, Alex Ibru but he was released in 2008, 9 years after.