The Story Behind The Disappearance Of Brigadier General John Degel

 

EBONYNAIJA

Brigadier General John Degel Ogbaje, a decorated veteran and a member of the 40th Regular Combatant Course assumed duty as the 44th Director of the Army Personnel Pay Office (APPO), Ikoyi of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps on 17 February 2021 after serving in different units and formations. He is a native of Ojantelle in Apa LGA of Benue State.

General Ogbaje studied Accounting at the university of Jos in 1986 and then proceeded to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1988, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree (Hons) in Economics.

He received his commission as a Second Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army as a member of the 40th Regular Combatant Course on 10th of September, 1993 and has since rose to the rank of a Brigadier General.

He has had multiple command and staff positions in many divisions and Special Forces throughout the last 28 years. General Ogbaje also holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA – Finance) and a Masters in Strategic Studies (MSS).

He was a Member and Fellow of various professional bodies which include; Fellow Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (FCNA), Fellow Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCITN), Fellow Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM) and Fellow Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria (FCE). General Ogbaje has attended several workshops/seminars at several prestigious schools.

He served in command and leadership positions in the course of his military profession, amongst which include: Staff Officer Bills, Headquarters 1 Division Finance Office, Staff Officer II Finance Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, Finance Officer Depot Nigerian Army and Staff Officer 1 Finance and Accounts, Department of Army Logistics Army Headquarters.

Other appointments he has held include Assistant Director Finance and Accounts Nigerian Army Funds, Assistant Director Finance and Accounts Nigerian Army Peace Keeping Centre and Commander Divisional Finance and Accounts 2 Division Nigerian Army, Deputy Commandant, Chief of Staff and Director of Studies, Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration, Apapa Lagos, Commander Division Finance and Accounts 1 Division Nigerian Army.

He died a mysterious death in Turkey 7th may 2022, where his wife Mrs Dorathy Ogbaje took him for medical attention without the knowledge of any of the family members. He was also buried without the knowledge of the family members in 10th June 2022 respectively. During the burial Mr Dorathy Ogbaje deceitfully used the disceased friend engr Edoh of FCDA and his lawyer Bar. Onuh as his family members. Up till this moment we haven’t received any official message or report from the Nigeria army nor The wife who travelled out with him concerning his death. Some pictures of how he was buried were later sent to us from military cemetery Abuja where he was buried. He left behind three children, Samuel, David and Joshua.

Since the ugly incident not the wife nor any of the child has visited his place. The wife Mrs Dorathy Ogbaje has claimed the ownership of all his properties includingDe-Josada fillings station otukpo, before Enugu round about otukpo, the above mention fillings station was originally built in his place to help his family members. In November 2022 she sent L/Cpl onoja Vincent and Sgt Yahaya who are both the late general’s aids to chase the family members out of the one and only house he built in his place for the family. All efforts to reach the Nigeria army with our complain prove abortive.

We are using this medium to reach out to Nigeria army to explain to us the where about of our brother and if truly he is no more we want to know why his family members were not informed about his death and why we were not put in picture of his burial arrangements.

 

Below are picture of the burial