CoAS Requested For My Nude, Bought Me iPhone, Discharged Army Officer Alleges

The female soldier discharged in what appears to be in controversial circumstances, Private Ruth Ogunleye, has accused the Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, of sexual harassment.

She made the allegation in a video she posted online, as reported by phoenix.

In the said video, Ogunleye alleged that Lagbaja requested that she forwarded her nude photos, which she did, after which he allegedly bought her an iPhone Pro Max.

Ogunleye also disclosed that she voluntarily resigned from the army based on the counsel she received from the Minister of Women Affairs. Following the advice, she tendered a hand-written discharge letter.

Ogunleye, who insisted that the minister should come forward with details and facts of the matter, explained that she submitted the letter to the minister as requested and that the minister subsequently forwarded it to the CoAS.

She noted however, that the CoAS converted the voluntary discharge to Medical Discharge just so that she would be able to receive pension and other accruing benefits.

“On July 1, 2024, the Chief of Army Staff called me on video and instructed me to convert my voluntary discharge to a medical one so that I could benefit from pensions and other packs. I took screenshots of everything that transpired. You also requested my nude photos, which I sent you, and you bought me an iPhone Pro Max. So where does this claim of mental illness come from? You said you were helping me because we are from the same state, but you still asked for my nude photos and I sent them.”

According to her, the conversion is based on a false claim of mental illness which she denounces as made-up because there is no medical evidence, to the best of her knowledge, in support of any mental illness on her part.

“I am calling out the Minister of Women Affairs. Please, come forward and tell the truth. You requested that I leave my job, which I did voluntarily, and I submitted the letter to you. You then forwarded it to the Chief of Army Staff, requesting that I be released to your office to work with you.

“You requested that I leave my job, and I submitted my handwritten voluntary resignation letter to you, which you gave to the Army. Please come out and tell the truth, ma,” she implored in another post.

Ogunleye’s troubles began when she went on TikTok to recount an alleged sordid sexual experience in the hands of some senior army officers, including Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, Colonel G.S. Ogor, and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo. She also accused them of administering injections on her against her will, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital after she rejected their sexual advances.

However, in a statement issued by Army spokesperson, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Nigerian Army dismissed the allegations, insisting that the outcome of her case is based on medical evaluations which proved that she is suffering from a condition that made her “medically vulnerable.”

Ogunleye has consistently called for transparency and a public release of the investigation into her allegations.

“..It is no longer news that I was discharged from the service on June 15, 2024. I humbly request that the Nigerian Army publish the outcome of the investigation that led to my discharge,” Ogunleye demanded.