Women affairs minister wades in on alleged sexual harassment claims by female soldier
The minister of women affairs, Uju Ohanenye has waged into the trending video of a female soldier identified as Ruth Ogunleye who said she was being victimised and maltreated because she refused to give in to her superiors’ sexual advances.
Sharing her experiences on TikTok under her handle @ogunleyeruthsavage1, she stated that some superior officers, whom she identified as Col. I. B. Abdulkareem, Col. G. S. Ogor, and Brig. Gen. I. B. Solebo had made life unbearable for her since she joined the Army.
The soldier also alleged that Abdulkareem made repeated attempts to assault her by administering injections against her will.
“He comes to my room to inject me in my apartment and sends some boys to my house…I have all the evidence. I have evidence against him and I have witnesses.
“He also stigmatised me, saying that I have a mental illness. Every time I try to expose him or each time any senior person or any senior officer tries to intervene, he will tell them that I have a mental illness.
“He (froze) my account for one year from February last year till date; no salary.
“Anytime he feels like he wants to embarrass me, he asks some soldiers to beat me. After beating me up, they will inject me. He will ask one Funke Ayeni, a female soldier, to set me up.
Although the Nigerian Army had vowed to investigate the matter in a post via its X account on Saturday, many Nigerians netizens have called on the relevant authorities not to cover up the soldiers’ accusations and bring those found guilty to book.
In reaction to Ogunleye’s post, the ministry of women affairs described the content of the female soldier as disturbing and said such allegations should not be allowed to be swept under the carpet.
“I need to reiterate my Ministry’s displeasure over situations where Nigerian women hold the short end of the stick even as the present administration is working assiduously to stamp out all forms of gender inequality and harmful treatments against the female gender”
“As the Minister of Women Affairs, I remain resolute in my resolve to protect the interest of Nigerian women and strongly condemn the contents of the online video if verified to be true,” the minister said in a statement issued by Ohaeri Joseph, a Special Assistant on Media to the ministry.
While commending the Nigerian Army for its pedigree on discipline, decorum and comportment, she also initiated communication with the Nigerian Army high Command to ensure that the allegations of sexual harassment are thoroughly investigated and culprits sanctioned accordingly.
The Minister requested the Army high command to verify some of the lady’s claims about being deprived of proceeding on PASS and the Army Medical School after gaining admission and for her to be deployed to a safer and neutral working environment while the investigation is carried out to guarantee her safety and also save her from further depression.
“Am glad to note the assurances from the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Nwachukwu Onyema that the Army will commence investigation into the matter and that it highly commendable, I therefore urge the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja to institute a Board of Inquiry to undertake thorough investigations on this matter with objective outcomes”.
Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed plans to visit the Lady and Chief of Army Staff even as she urges the Army high command to update her office on the fallout of the proposed investigation in the interest of Nigerian women.
