Alleged Maltreatment Of Female Soldier:Army Begins Investigation
Nigerian Army says it has begun an investigation into alleged maltreatment of a female soldier against some senior officers.
A press statement issued by Major-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, on Friday, said the female soldier claimed she was harassed and maltreated by some senior colleagues in a video that had trended across various social media platforms.
The army authorities added that the female officer’s claim was misleading because she did not inform relevant bodies and institutions about her predicament as she claimed in the viral video.
The statement reads: “The Nigerian Army (NA) has been inundated with audiovisuals making the rounds on social media of the unprofessional conduct of a female soldier in mufti, who claimed to have been maltreated by some senior officers. It is instructive to state that considering the gravity of the allegations, NA as a disciplined force will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
“It is crucial to point out that contrary to the claims made in the video, the soldier in question has not exhausted the laid down procedure for seeking redress in the NA. This is aside from Human Rights and Gender Desks established in Army Headquarters and across NA formations, where complaints about human rights and gender issues are also entertained.
The NA remains a professional force that self-regulates and conducts its activities in adherence to established rules and ethics while upholding the highest standards of discipline amongst personnel. We, therefore encourage all personnel to always utilize the established channels for addressing grievances and concerns as a member of a noble and disciplined force.
“We assure the general public that the NA as an institution is committed to upholding the integrity and morals of its personnel and as such appropriate actions will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.”
“We urge the public to allow the investigative process to take its course and refrain from making hasty judgments. The NA remains dedicated to serving our nation with honor and integrity,” the army statement added.
It will be recalled that a Nigerian military female personnel Ogunleye Ruth has alleged that her superiors Col.IB Abdulkareem, Col. GS Ogor and Brig. Gen.IB Solebo has made life hell for her and anything that happens to her, they should be held responsible, especially Col.IB Abdulkareem whom she alleges is the arrow head behind her ordeal in the Army.
Ogunleye Ruth who goes by her TikTok name @Ogunleyeruthsavage1,took to the social media TikTok, to narrate her ordeal in the hands of the aforementioned superiors, has also called on Nigerians, good spirited individuals especially human rights activists and organizations to come to her aid, said ” I know they will come for me, they will try to arrest me”.
She alleged that Col.IB Abdulkareem in particular, has tried couple of times to rape her, injected her, evicted her and thrown her into psychiatric hospital for months, as well as denied her promotion courses, simply because she turned him down after making advances on her.
She said her own father prevailed on Col. IB Abdulkareem to let her have peace, but the Colonel told her father to tell her to “Obey the last command”.
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