Ruth Ogunleye, a former Nigerian soldier, who was discharged from service after accusing Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, a senior officer, of sexual harassment. She has now appealed to the Nigerian Army to publish the findings of its investigation into the allegations, seeking transparency and accountability
Ruth who took to her TikTok account (@Ogunleyeruthsavage1) in January2024 to share the disturbing allegations of harassment and abuse by senior military officers, specifically accusing Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem of repeated assault attempts, non-consensual medical procedures, forced relocation, and psychiatric hospital confinement after rejecting his unwanted advances . Additionally, Ogunleye implicated Colonels G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo in enabling and perpetuating the alleged abuse
Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, announced on Tuesday that Colonel IB Abdulkareem has been cleared of all wrongdoing following an extensive investigation into the allegations made by Ruth Ogunleye. Saying they thoroughly reviewed the facts, testimonies, and evidence presented, and the findings conclusively showed that Abdulkareem did not engage in any misconduct
Ogunleye was discharged from service due to a medical condition that renders her vulnerable, according to Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu. This decision was made after medical evaluations at the National Hospital in Abuja confirmed her condition, despite being cleared of wrongdoing, the Nigerian Army chose not to pursue disciplinary action against Ogunleye due to her health concerns.
In response to her discharge, Ogunleye took to TikTok to express gratitude to the Army while also appealing for the investigation’s outcome to be made public. It’s worth noting that Ogunleye will receive a 50% monthly pension for life, despite not serving the requisite 10 years, as well as other benefits.
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?”
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