Wants intervention of Minister of Women Affairs
The former soldier, Private Ruth Oguleye, who was dismissed after accusing a senior officer, Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, of sexual harassment, has asked the Army to publish the outcome of its investigation into the alleged harassment.
In January 2024, Ogunleye alleged that Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem and other senior officers, Colonel G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo, had made her life unbearable. She made the declaration via her TikTok page, @Ogunleyeruthsavage1.
Ogunleye specifically accused Abdulkareem of making repeated attempts to assault her, administering injections against her will, forcibly removing her from her residence, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital for several months after she rejected his sexual advances.
However, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the director of Army Public Relations, said in a press conference on Tuesday that Ogunleye’s claims were false.
Nwachukwu stated that, following a thorough review of facts obtained from an investigation into the matter ordered by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, along with testimonies and evidence presented, it was determined that Abdulkareem did not commit the offences alleged by Ogunleye.
He added that medical reports following an evaluation at the National Hospital in Abuja indicated that Ogunleye was suffering from a condition that rendered her medically vulnerable.
Reacting, Ogunleye, via her TikTok account, urged the Nigerian Army to publish the outcome of the investigation. “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,” she stated.
She added, “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.”
She appealed to the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, to inform the public on what transpired during the investigation. According to her, the minister convinced her to voluntarily resign, but not on the terms the Army reported.
She said, “You’re not just a mother; you’re a woman everybody respects so much. Please come out and say things as they are. Ma’am, you requested that I 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. Come out and tell the truth, ma’am. Thereafter, the Chief of Army Staff called me on July 1, telling me he converted my voluntary discharge to a medical discharge because you wanted me to benefit from a pension and other entitlements. How was I boarded out, and where is this mental illness coming from?”