A former soldier, Private Ruth Ogunleye, has requested the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, to revisit the case that led to her dismissal from the army. Ogunleye was discharged from service after accusing a senior officer, Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, of sexual harassment. In a recent post on her TikTok page, she expressed regret for disrespecting the COAS and asked for a review of her case, mentioning that she believes her results may have been tampered with.
Ogunleye clarified that her apology was not due to blackmail but stemmed from her disrespect towards the army chief out of frustration. She emphasized that her fight was against Colonel Abdulkareem and not the Nigerian Army. Allegations made by Ogunleye against Abdulkareem and other officers led to an investigation by Lagbaja, which concluded that Abdulkareem was not guilty of the accusations.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed that Ogunleye had been recommended for discharge on medical grounds in 2022. Despite the findings and discharge, the Nigerian Army provided her with necessary medical care before her transition to civilian life.