‘She was in high spirits,’ says minister after visiting abused female soldier

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has shared an update on the Nigerian female soldier, Ruth Ogunleye, who recently accused her superiors of abusing her.

Kennedy-Ohanenye disclosed on her X account on Thursday that Ogunleye is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is under the observation of officers from both the Nigerian Army and the Ministry of Women Affairs.

In a video that gained widespread attention, Ogunleye accused a colonel and two other senior officers of subjecting her to stigmatisation, intimidation, and sexual harassment.

She asserted that the colonel, unhappy after she rejected his advances, disrupted her life and halted her salary in February 2023.

She claimed that after reporting the incident to higher authorities, her grievances were purportedly dismissed, with the colonel labeling her as mentally ill.

Kennedy-Ohanenye wrote, “In keeping with my earlier resolve, I was at the facility where the female soldier, Ruth Ogunleye, is undergoing rehabilitation earlier this week.

“Aside from the noticeable improvement from my last visit to her, she was in high spirits and we interacted cordially.

“I am impressed and must commend the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Taoreed Lagbaja  for the top notch care and attention given to her by the Army through the deployment of their personnel to the facility.

“On our own part, the ministry also deployed a desk officer to monitor her recovery in keeping with our mandate to promote the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerian women.”

The minister had earlier visited Lagbaja,  urging a thorough investigation and emphasizing her commitment to preventing the matter from being overlooked.