Lawal Halimat
In January 2024, ex-Private Ruth Ogunleye made serious allegations on her TikTok page, accusing Colonel I.B Abdulkareem of repeated attempts to assault her, forcibly evicting her from her residence, administering injections against her will, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital after she rejected his advances. Ogunleye also named Colonel G.S Ogor and Brigadier General I.B Solebo in her claims.
In response to these accusations, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, ordered an investigation into the matter. On Tuesday, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, addressed the media in Abuja, announcing that the investigation had cleared Abdulkareem of any wrongdoing.
Major General Nwachukwu explained that a thorough investigation, conducted by the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, reviewed all the evidence, testimonies, and facts surrounding the allegations. He emphasized that the investigation was conducted in accordance with the Army’s protocols and that every effort was made to ensure fairness and transparency. The findings revealed that Colonel Abdulkareem did not commit the offense of sexual harassment as alleged.
Following the investigation, Ogunleye was discharged from military service on medical grounds. Nwachukwu disclosed that concerns about her mental health had been raised as early as 2022, with the Nigerian Army offering her the best medical treatment available. Further medical evaluations at the National Hospital in Abuja confirmed that Ogunleye was suffering from a condition that rendered her medically vulnerable.
"While the Army had sufficient grounds to take disciplinary action against her for indiscipline and misconduct, we opted to exercise compassion," Nwachukwu said. "She was discharged with a 50 per cent monthly pension for life, despite not qualifying for a pension due to her short service period."
The Army has concluded that its actions, including not pursuing disciplinary measures, were in Ogunleye's best interest given her medical condition. The case has now been closed.
