Former soldier, Private Ruth Ogunleye, has made a public appeal to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, requesting a review of the case that led to her discharge from service.
Ogunleye was dismissed after accusing a senior officer, Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, of sexual harassment.
In a recent TikTok post, Ogunleye apologised to the Army Chief, expressing regret for disrespecting him in the course of her attempts to clear her name. She emphasized that her actions were driven by a need to defend her reputation, asking Lagbaja for mercy and a second look at her case.
“Please, sir, from the bottom of my heart, I am very sorry. I disrespected you out of frustration, but I ask for mercy. This is about my name and reputation, and I beg you to reconsider my case,” she said in the video.
Ogunleye clarified in a follow-up video that her apology was not a result of blackmail but a sincere expression of regret for her actions toward the Army Chief. She reiterated that her fight was not against the Nigerian Army but specifically against Colonel Abdulkareem, whom she accused of repeated sexual advances, wrongful confinement, and harassment in early 2024.
The allegations led to an official investigation, which, according to Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, cleared Abdulkareem of the charges.
It was determined that Ogunleye’s discharge was based on medical grounds, and the Army had extended medical care before her dismissal.
Despite this, Ogunleye continues to seek a reevaluation of her case.
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