Army To Investigate Alleged Sexual Harassment, Maltreatment Of Female Soldier By Senior Officers 

THE Nigerian Army (NA) has pledged to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations made by a female soldier who claimed to have been maltreated by senior officers.

Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, noted that the army had been made aware of audiovisuals circulating on social media featuring a female soldier in civilian clothing detailing alleged maltreatment by senior officers.

Emphasising the gravity of the accusations, General Nwachukwu affirmed that the Nigerian Army, as a disciplined force, is committed to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.

“It is crucial to point out that contrary to the claims made in the video, the soldier in question has not exhausted the laid-down procedure for seeking redress in the NA.

“This is aside from the Human Rights and Gender Desks established in Army Headquarters and across NA formations, where complaints about human rights and gender issues are also entertained.

“The NA remains a professional force that self-regulates and conducts its activities in adherence to established rules and ethics while upholding the highest standards of discipline amongst personnel,” he said.

General Nwachukwu consequently encouraged all personnel to always utilise the established channels for addressing grievances and concerns as members of a noble and disciplined force.

He assured the general public that the army, as an institution, is committed to upholding the integrity and morals of its personnel, and as such, appropriate actions would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

“We urge the public to allow the investigative process to take its course and refrain from making hasty judgements.

“The army remains dedicated to serving our nation with honour and integrity,” he added.

Ruth Ogunleye had in the video claimed that some superiors, whom she identified as Coloniel IB Abdulkareem, Coloniel GS Ogor, and Brigadier General IB Solebo, have made her life unbearable.

Ogunleye holds Coloniel IB Abdulkareem particularly responsible for the difficulties she has faced in the Army.

Ogunleye, known as @Ogunleyeruthsavage1 on TikTok, shared her distressing experience on the platform.

She claimed that Abdulkareem had made repeated attempts to assault her, administered injections against her will, forcibly removed her from her residence, and confined her in a psychiatric hospital for several months.

She added that the officer has hindered her career advancement by denying her promotion courses because she allegedly rejected his advances.

She said, “In 2022, I was posted to Cantonment Medical Centre, Ojo, where I met Col IB Abdulkareem who requested sex from me and I refused. Ever since then, this man has been my nightmare in the Army, threatening to dismiss me each time.

“He comes to my room to inject me in my apartment. Send some boys to my house. If I’m lying I have all evidence. I have evidence against him and I have witnesses.

“He also stigmatised me that I have mental illness. Each time I try to expose him or each time any senior person or any senior officer tries to intervene, he will tell them I have a mental illness.

“He [froze] my account for one year. February last year till date, no salary.”

“Anytime he feels like he wants to embarrass me, he asks some soldiers to beat me. After beating me up, they will inject me. He will ask one Funke Ayeni, she is a female soldier, and he will ask her to set me up. She will set me up, inject me and they will go and throw me somewhere. At the end of the day, this Brig. Gen. IB Solebo and some of those senior colonels, they will come to that place, they will be videoing me,” she added.

Ogunleye appealed to Nigerians for support.

She acknowledged the potential consequences of her actions, anticipating a possible arrest.

According to her, her father has tried to intervene with Col. IB Abdulkareem to bring her some peace.

She claimed the officer told her father  to relay the message to her to “Obey the last command.”

She said the “last order” was for the colonel to “sleep with me.”

Eighteen-Eleven Mefia