Ruth Ogunleye, a former Nigerian soldier, made some serious allegations against three senior military officers – Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, Colonel G.S. Ogor, and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo – on her TikTok page in January 2024.
The Nigerian Army has cleared Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem of any wrongdoing following allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct made by former Private Ruth Ogunleye. According to the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, an exhaustive investigation found no evidence to support Ogunleye’s claims .
Ogunleye had accused Abdulkareem of making repeated attempts to assault her, administering injections against her will, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital for several months after she rejected his sexual advances. However, medical reports from the National Hospital in Abuja indicated that Ogunleye was suffering from a condition that rendered her medically vulnerable .
But reacting to the above claims Ogunleye via her TikTok account urged the Nigerian army to publish the outcome of the investigation.
In her words: “I want to say a big thank you to the Nigerian Army and its spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu. It is no longer news that I was discharged from the service on June 15, 2024. I humbly request that the Nigerian Army publish the outcome of the investigation that led to my discharge.
“On January 9, 2024, I came on social media to complain about how I was harassed by Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, Colonel G.S. Ogor, and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo. I beg the Nigerian Army to post the outcome of the investigation on its social media platforms so that the whole world will know what truly transpired and what led to my discharge. I will be very grateful if my request is considered.
Urges Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy to intervene
I’m calling out the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy. You’re not just a mother, you’re a woman everybody respects so much. Please come out and say things as they are. Ma, you requested me to leave the job, and I submitted my handwritten voluntary resignation letter to you, which you gave to the Army, and requested that they release me to your office. The psychiatric doctors were there when you intervened.
Ruth Ogunleye’s plea to Minister Uju Kennedy to clarify the circumstances surrounding her discharge from the army has taken a significant turn. Ogunleye reveals that the Chief of Army Staff informed her that her voluntary discharge was converted to a medical discharge, allegedly at Minister Kennedy’s request, to ensure she receives pension and other benefits.
Ogunleye’s question, “How was I boarded out, and where is this mental illness coming from?” suggests she’s contesting the army’s claims about her mental health and the reasons for her discharge. This development raises more questions about the investigation’s findings and the army’s handling of Ogunleye’s case.
