By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
A former soldier, Private Ruth Ogunleye, has urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, to order a review of the case that led to her discharge from service.
The PUNCH reports that the female soldier was discharged from service after she accused a senior officer, Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, of sexual harassment.
In a post on Tuesday on her TikTok page, @Ogunleyeruthsavage1, the former soldier, who apologised to the COAS for having previously disrespected him, urged the army chief to review her case.
She claimed that she disrespected Lagbaja in her bid to clear her name and prove her innocence.
From the depth of my heart, I am very sorry, sir. I apologise; please have mercy on me. For disrespecting you, have mercy on me.
“This concerns my name and reputation. It is not good for someone to be stigmatised. Stigma can lead people to despair.
“I also plead with you to consider reviewing the case. I feel someone somewhere tampered with the results.
I do not want to say much about this video; please find a place in your heart to forgive me,” she said.
While clarifying why she was apologising to Lagbaja in another video, Ogunleye explained that, contrary to claims that she was being blackmailed, she was only apologising for disrespecting the army chief.
She said, “I disrespected him, and that is not fair. I disrespected him out of frustration because I needed to fight back and prove to people that Colonel Abdulkareem was guilty. Secondly, I am not fighting the Nigerian Army; I am fighting Colonel Abdulkareem.”
In January 2024, Ogunleye alleged on her TikTok page, @Ogunleyeruthsavage1, that Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, Colonel G.S. Ogor, and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo had made her life unbearable.
She specifically accused Abdulkareem of making repeated attempts to assault her, administering injections against her will, forcibly removing her from her residence, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital for several months after she rejected his sexual advances.
Following these allegations, Lagbaja ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.
After completing its investigation, the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, stated that after an exhaustive review of the facts, testimonies, and evidence presented, it was determined that Abdulkareem did not commit the offences alleged by Ogunleye.
He said, “The investigation concluded that Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem did not commit the offence of sexual harassment as alleged by ex-Private Ruth Ogunleye. The findings were definitive and based on an objective evaluation of the available information.”
Onyema also revealed that Ogunleye had been recommended for discharge on medical grounds since 2022, but the Nigerian Army, showing sympathy, provided her with the best possible medical treatment before discharging her into civilian life.
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