Ruth Ogunleye, Ex-Soldier Behind Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Senior Military Officers, Reportedly Arrested

A former Nigerian soldier, Ruth Ogunleye, who spoke out about sexual harassment from high-ranking military officials, has been reportedly arrested and has been moved from Lagos to northern Nigeria while awaiting trial.

According to a source mentioned in SaharaReporters, Ogunleye has been moved from Lagos to Kaduna. However, there appears to be confusion over where she has been sent as the source states she has been moved to an “Abuja prison”.

It has also been reported that the arrest was made by the Defence Minister, Christopher Gwabin Musa. However, this has not been confirmed and information surrounding why she has been arrested has not been stated by the authorities.

Background

Ogunleye gained national attention back in January 2024 after speaking on social media platform TikTok about how she had been sexually harassed by Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem. She then stated how she had been intimidated and mistreated by Colonel G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo after she refused alleged unwanted advances.

She then claimed that she tried to seek assistance from high-ranking officials including Musa (now Minister of Defence but at the time Chief of Defence Staff) but did not receive any real assistance.

Nigerian Army Statement

The Nigerian Army later went on to state that Military Police had investigated the claims and found no evidence of sexual harassment by Colonel Abdulkareem. Ogunleye was also stated to have been discharged from the army due to medical reasons.

However, in October 2024 she called upon an investigation into the case as she felt the findings may have been falsified and expressed her concern over the damage to her reputation.

What we know

We currently do not know if Ogunleye’s arrest and movement from Lagos has anything to do with her previous allegations or if it is due to something else. It also appears there has been some confusion over where she actually is with the reports stating she has been moved to Kaduna and also Abuja.

Information states they contacted a spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Colonel Appolonia Anele, for comment regarding her arrest, legal status and who moved her. They did not receive a response from the calls or message.

Source: saharareporters.com

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