Women affairs minister meets army chief over female soldier ‘abused by senior officers’
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, minister of women affairs, on Friday, visited Taoreed Lagbaja, the chief of army staff (COAS), at the high command in Abuja over the case of a female soldier.
In a now-viral video, Ruth Ogunleye, a female soldier of the Nigerian Army, accused a colonel and two other senior officers of sexual harassment, intimidation and threat to life.
She alleged that the colonel frustrated her life after she rejected his sexual advances and threatened to dismiss her from the army.
Ogunleye said the colonel deliberately stigmatised her with mental illness each time she reported him to his superiors.
She also claimed he forcefully locked her up in a psychiatric hospital and stopped her salary in February 2023.
In a statement issued by Ohaeri Joseph, her media aide, after the visit to the army chief, the minister said she was adequately updated on the efforts the army has put in place towards resolving the matter.
She said she was also informed with documented evidence that the lady’s salary was never stopped as she was paid up to December 2023.
“I am happy to have met the Chief of Army Staff with his top management and must commend their collective efforts towards handling this matter,” the statement reads.
“My visit is pursuant to the mandate which the Women Affairs Ministry has to promote the interest of every woman in Nigeria and I have received strong assurances from the Chief of Army Staff concerning this matter who has equally detailed some senior officers to accompany me to visit Miss Ogunleye, I interacted with her and I am optimistic that the outcome will be fine.”
