THERE is disquiet at the Military Cantonment, Jaji, Kaduna State over the murder of a senior naval officer, Commander Oluwayemisi Ogundana.
Her dismembered body packed inside a big sack, was found in a village shallow well close to the cantonment.
Commander Ogundana was, until the gruesome murder, the Commandant of Armed Forces Command Secondary School and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji.
The deceased naval officer with service number NN/ 2367 was declared missing last Friday.
She was, however, suspected to have been murdered by some persons, including an official of the college she presided over.
The AFCSC spokesman, Major Umar, could not be reached yesterday, but it was gathered that two suspects, including a teacher at the Command Secondary School, have been arrested.
A source in Jaji said when the military officer was not seen, efforts were made to reach her via her telephone. But, it was discovered that the phone was left in her room, which was locked.
According to the source, “the door to her room was forced open because the phone was ringing inside the sitting room and efforts to reach her other numbers failed”.
It was further learnt that blood stains were observed on her beddings, clothes and the floor from the bedroom to the bathroom. Her vehicle, a Toyota SUV, was also missing.
The source said military authorities in Jaji kept some of her immediate staff members and family members under close observation, which paid off when two persons were arrested in Zaria while trying to dispose of her car.
During interrogation, they confessed to participating in the gruesome murder of the senior military officer and subsequently led the investigators to Agwanloyo by the railway inside an abandoned shallow well near the Deeper life Church in Jaji cantonment.
Commander Ogundana joined the Navy about 16 years ago. Her dad, it was learnt, retired as a Rear Admiral. He died about three years ago.
The deceased was married with three kids, who are in their Lagos residence with their father, who is a lawyer.
According to the source, this is not the first time an officer was murdered in Jaji. Lt. Commander Solomon Derikora from Rivers State was killed in May.
Commander Ogundana was said to have had a running battle with a teacher, who she had removed, following his shady practices.
The source added: “When she took over as Commandant, she went through the records and discovered that the said teacher, who was in charge of Parent Teachers Association (PTA), was engaged in some illegal dealings. So, she removed him and handed him over to the military police for investigation.
“Obviosly the teacher was not happy and he planned with another person to kill her and they cut her body, put it inside a bag and dumped it in a well inside the cantonment.
“They then sold her car. The car had got to the fifth buyer when it was detected and investigation traced the initial sellers to the teacher she had removed and one other suspects. They have both been arrested.”
The search for Commander Ogundana had been on for some days without success until around 9am on September 19 when a civilian driver packed her Toyota Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at the Air Provost Squadron in Kaduna.
“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 Jeep belonged to the missing Commander in Jaji, arrested the driver and took him into custody. He confessed during interrogation that he was given the SUV to sell by someone in Jaji.
“Early this morning (Sunday), the teacher was apprehended and he confessed to the killing. He said he killed the Commandant at Angwan Loya Village around 1am on September 15 because she promised him N2.5 million but failed to give him.
“He also confessed to have picked fights with the Commandant because she sacked him as PTA Chairman alongside others.”
It was gathered that the deceased officer’s lawyer husband and her relatives were demanding a thorough investigation into her murder.
The Nation gathered that the search for Ogundana had been on for several days without success until around 9am on September 19 when a civilian driver packed her Toyora Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at the Air Provost Squadron in Kaduna.
“He went outside the Base to get fuel but returned the next day to pick up the vehicle. The AirPolice on getting information that the vehiclebelonged to the missing Commander in Jaji, arrested the driver and took him into custody. He confessed during interrogation that he was given the SUV to sell by someone in Jaji.
“Early this morning (Sunday), the teacher was apprehended and he confessed to the killing. He said he killed the Commandant at Angwan Loya Village around 1am on September 15 because she promised him N2.5 million but failed to give him.
“He also confessed to have picked fights with the Commandant because she sacked him as PTA Chairman alongside other staff,” said another source.
