The Nigerian army has discharged Ruth Ogunleye, a female soldier for falsely accusing Col. Ishiaku Abdulkareem of sexual harassment and intimidation.
Spokesperson of the army, Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of the panel set up to investigate the allegations.
He said the panel exonerated Abdulkareem from all the allegations levelled against him by the female soldier.
Nwachukwu said allegations against the officer was referred to the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police for investigation.
He said the investigation revealed that the colonel did not commit the offences.
Ogunleye had in a video she published on TikTok in January 2024, accused three senior officers in the army of harassment, intimidation and threat to life.
She had alleged that her trouble started when she was posted to the Cantonment Medical Centre, Ojo, Lagos, where she met the colonel.
Ogunleye alleged that the colonel made sexual advances to her but she rejected him.
She claimed that the senior officer consequently threatened to dismiss her from the army, denied her promotion courses, and rejected her army pass request.
The female soldier further accused the officer evicting her from her apartment and locked her up at a psychiatric hospital.
She added that anytime she tries to report Abdulkareem to senior officers, he always tells them she is battling mental illness.
Following the viral video, the Nigerian army decided to investigate the allegations.
The minister of women affairs, Kennedy-Ohanenye, subsequently visited the female soldier at the hospital where she was undergoing rehabilitation.
According to Nwachukwu, findings of the panel that investigated the allegations “were definitive and based on objective evaluation of the available information.
“The investigation concluded that Colonel IB Abdulkareem did not commit the offence of sexual harassment as alleged by Ex-Private Ruth Ogunleye.
“The army maintains that Col. Abdulkareem is a disciplined, regimented, and firm officer who has upheld the values of the Nigerian Army throughout his service.”
He dadded that in 2022, the female soldier was recommended for discharge on medical grounds, pointing out that the army decided to keep Ogunleye in the service to give her the best medical treatment possible before her dismissal.
Nwachukwu said during the course of the investigation, it was observed that the mental health condition of the female soldier had worsened.
He said, “Based on the medical report from the National Hospital and the advice of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, the decision was made to shelve any disciplinary procedures that could have been brought against her.
“Instead, the army prioritized her health, understanding that she was in no position to continue with military service. She was subsequently boarded and discharged from service in June.
“She has also been paid her Terminal Leave Allowance and Terminal Packing Allowance, as well as her contributions to Nigerian Army Welfare Insurance Scheme (NAWIS) and Benevolent Fund (BENFUND).
“The payments were made on 14 August 2024 into her FCMB account. Her Security Debarment Allowance for the period she served (5 years 54 days) has also been paid.
“The decision for her discharge was reached following her rejection of an offer of medical treatment either from the National Hospital or the Nigerian Army.”
