Harassed Female Soldier: COAS Warns Against ‘Further Comment’

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has ordered commanders and personnel to cease issuing comments on the alleged harassment of a female soldier, Corporal Ruth Ogunleye by senior army officers.

In a memo signed by Brigadier General PO Alimikhena on behalf of Lieutenant General Lagbaja by Major-General Onyema Nwachukwu, on the 29th of January 2024 and shared by the Director of Army Public Relations, on Wednesday, it stated that the female soldier did not inform relevant bodies and institutions about her predicament before releasing the video.

“The named soldier of HQ NAMC publicly raised allegations of maltreatment and acts suggesting sexual harassment against 3 senior officers through her TikTok social media account. Accordingly, the COAS vide Reference A directed HQ NACMP to conduct a detailed investigation of the allegations raised by the soldier.

“To this end, I am directed to respectfully convey the COAS directive that no further official comments on the subject should be made pending the outcome of the HQ NACMP investigation.

“The army chief asked commanders at all levels to caution personnel under their command to desist from making official comments on the allegations raised by the soldier.

“Commanders at all levels are to please caution personnel under command to desist from making official comments on the allegations raised by the soldier.”

Corporal Ogunleye had made a video accusing two senior officers identified as Col. I.B. Abdulkareem, Col. G.S. Ogor, and Brig. Gen. I.B. Solebo fof oppressing her since she was posted to Cantonment Medical Centre, Ojo, Lagos in 2022.

According to Sahara Reporters, she was later arrested and flown to Abuja from Lagos State.

“The lady who complained in the viral video about sexual harassment in the military has been arrested and moved to Abuja by air this morning. She was flown out accompanied by military police in mufti from Lagos to Abuja.”

Meanwhile, the army said it had begun an investigation into the alleged maltreatment.