One female soja wey di Nigerian military sack afta she accuse some senior officers of rape and sexual harassment don release one video wey condemn di way dem treat her.
For January, ex-private Ruth Ogunleye on her TikTok account bin accuse three senior officers for di Nigerian army of sexual harassment, intimidation and threat to life. She say she bin suffer well-well sake of her ordeal for di hands of one general and two colonel.
Di soja bin allege say di colonel, Ishiaku Abdulkareem particularly bin make sexual advances to her, and she reject am and sake of dat, e bin threaten to dismiss her from di army, deny her promotion courses and reject her army pass request.
Her allegations bin go viral and e generate plenty reactions from di public, even di minister of women affairs bin put mouth for di mata at di time, and she discuss di case wit di army chief.
Di army promise to investigate di allegations.
Col. Abdulkareem dey innocent - Nigerian Army
On 24 September, di Army say dem don conclude di investigation and di senior officer, Colonel IB Abdulkareem dey innocent of di allegations.
Di Nigerian Army for one statement on X wey di Director Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu sign tok say afta an exhaustive review of di facts, testimonies, and evidence presented, e dey determined say Abdulkareem no commit di offences wey Ms Ogunleye bin accuse am of.
“Di investigation conclude say Colonel IB Abdulkareen no commit di offence of sexual harassment wey ex-private Ruth Ogunleye bin allege.”
Tok-tok pesin of di army also accuse her of spreading "false narratives against Colonel Abdulkareem and oda senior officers [plus] she dey use online platforms to engage in cyberbullying and defamation".
Di army say afta dem receive di complaint of Ms Ogunleye wey claim to be former subordinate of Col. Abdulkareem for di Nigerian Army Medical Corps Headquarters for Lagos dem quickly begin investigation.
“Upon receipt of her initial complaint, wey include allegations of sexual harassment, di Nigerian Army bin take immediate action. Dem refer di mata to di Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police wey dey tasked wit conducting through investigation onto di accuracy of her claims.”
Di investigation dey carried out in line wit established protocols, and every effort dem put na to ensure a fair and impartial process, di army add.
Di Nigerian Army sack Ex-Private Ruth Ogunleye on Medical grounds
Di statement also say she don dey discharged from service on medical grounds, as she dey suffer from one mental condition wey make her vulnerable.
Di army say na since 2022 dem bin wan discharge di ex-private on medical grounds but dem bin dey “symphathetic” to dia own and dem reason to give her di best medical treatment possible.
But as dem dey torchlight di accuse on sexual harassment mata, further concerns about Ms Ogunleye health bin show say she dey suffer from mental ailment..
“Her behaviour both online and offline bin raise questions on top her worsening mental health and emotional stability.”
Di army say dem carry her for medical evaluations for two hospitals and trained professionals bin advised den on di condition she dey suffer from.
“Di medical evaluation bin confam say Ruth Ogunleye dey suffer one condition wey make her medically vulnerable.”
Di army say sake of her mental health issue, dem no go carry out any disciplinary action against her out of compassion.
"In light of dis, di Army, wey dey fully capable of proceeding wit disciplinary action for her acts of indiscipline and misconduct, don decide to exercise compassion and leniency.
"Based on di medical report from di National Hospital and di advice of di Nigerian Army Medical Corps, dem make decision to forgo any disciplinary procedures dem suppose bring against her. Instead, di Army prioritize her health, understanding say she no dey position to continue wit military service." Di army tok for statement.
Di army further explain say dem reach di decision to discharge her afta she reject di offer of medical treatment from di National Hospital or di Nigerian Army.
Meanwhile, di army also say dem no just sack her but dem don pay her all her dues on 14 August.
“Though ex-private Ruth no serve up to pensionable years of service (10 years), however, she dey discharged from di Nigerian Army wit 50% disability claim, wey mean say, she go receive 50% monthly pension for life. Dem also pay her Terminal Leave Allowance and Terminal Packing Allowance, plus her contribution to di army welfare insurance scheme. Dem also pay her Security Debarment Allowance."
Publish di outcome of di investigation - Ex-Private Ruth Ogunleye
Afta di press briefing wia di army announce her discharge from di military, Ms Ogunleye now don release a second video on Tiktok wia she beg di Nigerian army say make dem make di outcome of di investigation public.
“Firstly I wan thank [army toktok pesin] General Onyema Nwachukwu for posting me on all social media platforms, newspapers, e show how powerful I be," she tok.
“January 9th 2024, I come on social media to complain of how dem harass me, of how dem rape me and how dem inject me and put inside casket.
“How dem point gun at me, handcuff and keep me inside one office for some days.
“I wan beg di Nigerian army to post di outcome of di investigation on all social media platforms, so dat di world go know wetin happun,” she tok.
However, women rights activists don call for independent investigation.
"Pipo no say di army no dey like wash dia dirty linen for public," Hadiza Ado, founder of Women and Children Initiative, tellBBC.
“If di army investigation tok say she bin get medical condition wey affect her, then for how long she bin dey for service wit dat condition, why dem come out now to tok am wen she dey dismissed?” she ask.
PRESS BRIEFING ON ALLEGATIONS BY EX-PRIVATE RUTH OGUNLEYE AGAINST COL IB ABDULKAREEM AND OTHERS OF THE NIGERIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORPS
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) September 24, 2024
1.Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press. Today, the Nigerian Army deems it necessary to address a series of grave allegations, act of… pic.twitter.com/lXqraXV1YC
