Discharged Female Soldiers Dares Army COAS, Challenges Him To Publish Outcome Of Sexual Harrassment Investigation

The female soldier who was discharged from the military Private Ruth Ogunleye, for accusing a senior officer, Colonel I.B Abdulkareem, of sexual harassment, has asked authorities of the Nigerian Army to publish the investigation that led to her dismissal.

Daily Trust reports that Ogunleye had in January this year on her TikTok account accused Col. IB Abdulkareem, Col. G.S Ogor, and Brig. Gen. I.B Solebo, of making her life unbearable.

But giving an update about the matter at Army headquarters on Tuesday, the spokesman of the land forces, Onyema Nwachukwu, said the allegations were false.

Nwachukwu, a Major-General, stressed that the conclusion was arrived at after an exhaustive review of the facts, testimonies and evidence presented during the investigations carried out.

Reacting, Ogunleye on her TikTok account, 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.”

Ogunleye also called on the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, to act on the matter.

According to her, the minister had prevailed on her to write the discharge letter, which she submitted on her behalf to the Nigerian Army.

While expressing shock that her discharge was attributed to mental illness, she questioned how her case had been converted into a medical discharge.

“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?” (Daily Trust)