Body Of Missing Female Naval Commander Found In A Shallow Well

The Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College
Secondary School, Jaji, O.O. Ogundana, who had gone missing, was
found dead and her body dumped inside a shallow well, military
sources said.

She was allegedly killed by a man who also works as a teacher in
the school where Ms Ogundana was the Commandant.

Recall report about the missing officer whose disappearance was
confirmed four days after she was last seen in her work place.

The principal suspect, named Simon Bernard, according to our
sources, claimed to have been in an extra marital affair with the
deceased officer.

The suspect, who allegedly confessed to the murder, said he did
it because she betrayed his trust by removing him as the chairman
of the school’s Parent Teachers Association. He also allegedly
accused her of failing to fulfill a N2.5 million promise she made
to him.

The military authorities in Jaji had launched a search for Ms
Ogundana, a commodore, since Monday when it was discovered that she
had gone missing.

BODY DISCOVERED IN A WELL
After days of search by the military officials, the decomposing
body of the missing officer was found on Sunday. The body was
discovered in a shallow well bagged in a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag.

“It was at 12.45 p.m. on Sunday that the decomposing body of
late Commander OO Ogundana was recovered in Agwanloyo by the
railway inside an abandoned shallow well near Deeper life Church in
Jaji Cantonment,” a top military official briefed on the matter,
said.

The source said three suspects have been arrested in connection
with the murder of Ms Ogundana.

“One of the suspects is Mr Bernard Simon, a teacher at Command
Secondary School Jaji and one Mr Ibrahlm Maman. Both are currently
still under investigation and in custody for further
investigation,” he said.

The source said the two suspects are being held in custody
alongside a ‘barrack boy’ who used to work for the late
officer.

“She was killed, forced into a Ghana-must-Go bag and dropped in
a well at Anguwan Loya, here in Jaji,” he said.

HOW THE KILLERS WERE ARRESTED
According to the military sources, the suspects were nabbed at the
point they wanted to dispose the Toyota Highlander car of the
deceased officer

After killing the officer, one of the suspects, Ibrahim Maman,
was said to have driven the SUV to Kaduna with the hope of selling
it.

“On the 16 September a civilian driver from Jaji packed a Toyota
Highlander at Air Provost Squadron in Kaduna as a result of fuel
shortage,” said the source.

“He went outside the base to get fuel but returned the next day
to pick up the Jeep.

“The Air Police on getting information that the SUV belonged to
the missing Commander in Jaji, arrested the driver and took him
into custody.

“During his interrogations, the man who identified himself as
Maman confessed that the Jeep was given to him to sell by someone
in Jaji.”

“On 22 September 2019 at about 11.30 pm, after several days of
laying different ambushes for the main suspect in Jaji, Mr Simon
Bernard who happened to be a serving teacher and former PTA
Chairman at AFCSC Secondary School in Jaji was apprehended.”

The source said Mr Bernard confessed to killing the commandant
at Anguwan Loya village in Jaji at about 1 a.m. on September
15.

“He claimed to be having extra marital affairs with the
commandant; and he confessed to have perpetrated the act because
the Commandant promised him N2.5 million and failed to fulfill her
promise.

“He also confessed to have picked fights with the Commandant
because she sacked him as PTA chairman alongside other staff.

The recovered vehicle is currently parked at the NAF BASE
Kaduna.

On the arrested ‘barrack boy’, young men and boys who assist
military officials on barracks, the source said he is viewed as an
accomplice.

“It is of utmost importance that Jaji barracks boys working for
officers be well vetted,” he said.

The Navy is yet to issue a formal statement on the murder of the
official.

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