Private Ruth Ogunleye, a former Nigerian soldier, has requested that the Nigerian Army release the findings of its investigation into her allegations of sexual harassment against senior officer Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem.
Ogunleye made these allegations on her TikTok page in January 2024, claiming that Abdulkareem, along with Colonels G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo, made her life unbearable during her service.
She specifically accused Abdulkareem of attempting to assault her, administering unwanted injections, forcibly removing her from her residence, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital for months after she rejected his advances.
However, according to Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, an exhaustive investigation found no evidence to support these allegations, clearing Abdulkareem of wrongdoing.
The Nigerian Army has since denounced Ogunleye’s ongoing online accusations, labeling them as baseless and defamatory. Nwachukwu emphasized that the Army prioritizes the integrity and welfare of its personnel, particularly when faced with false and malicious claims.
Nwachukwu stated 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 to her discharge from service on her TikTok account on Tuesday, 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.”
In a separate post, Ogunleye also called on the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, not to remain silent on the matter.
She said that the minister had prevailed on her to write the discharge letter, which she submitted on her behalf to the Nigerian Army.
Ogunleye expressed shock that her discharge was tied to a mental illness.
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?”
