Sexual Harassment: Publish probe report, female ex-soldier challenges Army

Former female soldier Private Ruth Ogunleye, who was discharged after accusing senior officers of sexual harassment, has urged the Nigerian Army to release the findings of its investigation into the matter.

In January 2024, Ogunleye alleged via TikTok that Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, along with Colonel G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo, had made her life difficult, with Abdulkareem attempting to assault her and later confining her to a psychiatric hospital after she rejected his advances.

On Tuesday, the Nigerian Army’s spokesperson, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, addressed the accusations, stating that after a thorough review, it was concluded that Abdulkareem did not commit the alleged offences.

He added that medical evaluations showed that Ogunleye was suffering from a condition that made her medically vulnerable.

Following her discharge on June 15, 2024, Ogunleye expressed her gratitude to the Army.

Reacting to her discharge from service on her TikTok account on Tuesday, September 25, 2024, Ogunleye expressed gratitude to the Army but pleaded for the outcome of the investigation to be made public.

She said, “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.”

Ogunleye also called on the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, in a separate post on TikTok, to clarify her role in the situation, stating that the minister had urged her to submit a voluntary resignation letter, which later led to a medical discharge.

Ogunleye expressed shock at being classified as mentally ill and asked the Army to explain the reasoning behind the decision.

She said, “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.

“Come out and tell the truth, ma. Thereafter, the Chief of Army Staff called me on July 1, where he told me he converted my voluntary discharge to a medical discharge because you wanted me to benefit from pension and other entitlements. How was I boarded out, and where is this mental illness coming from?”