Private Ruth Ogunleye, a former soldier discharged after accusing Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem of sexual harassment, has called on the Nigerian Army to publicly disclose the findings of its investigation into her allegations.
In January 2024, Ogunleye alleged on her TikTok account (@Ogunleyeruthsavage1) that Colonel Abdulkareem, along with Colonel G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo, subjected her to harassment. She claimed that Abdulkareem made multiple attempts to assault her, administered injections without consent, forcibly evicted her from her home, and confined her to a psychiatric hospital for several months after she rejected his advances.
However, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, stated in a press conference that an extensive review of the evidence and testimonies concluded that Abdulkareem did not commit the alleged offenses. Nwachukwu also mentioned that medical evaluations revealed Ogunleye was suffering from a condition that made her medically vulnerable.
Following her discharge from the Army on June 15, 2024, Ogunleye expressed her gratitude to the Army while reiterating her request for transparency regarding the investigation’s outcome. She stated, “I humbly request that the Nigerian Army publish the outcome of the investigation that led to my discharge. I beg the Nigerian Army to post the outcome on its social media platforms so that the whole world will know what truly transpired.”
Ogunleye also called on Uju Kennedy, the Minister of Women Affairs, to speak out on the situation. She revealed that the minister had urged her to submit a discharge letter, which was then presented to the Army. Ogunleye expressed disbelief that her discharge was attributed to a mental illness, questioning the circumstances surrounding her medical discharge, which she claimed was converted to ensure she could access pension benefits.
In her appeal, Ogunleye urged the minister to clarify the situation, stating, “Ma, you requested me to leave the job, and I submitted my handwritten voluntary resignation letter to you. Come out and tell the truth, ma.”
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