Abuja, September 26, 2024– The Men Against Rape Foundation (MARF) has called for transparency in the Nigerian Army’s handling of the controversial discharge of Private Ruth Ogunleye, a female soldier who accused senior officers of sexual harassment.
MARF is demanding public disclosure of the investigation that led to Ogunleye’s dismissal, which the Army has attributed to mental health concerns.
According to MARF, Ogunleye had accused Colonel I.B Abdulkareem and other officers of retaliating after she allegedly rejected Abdulkareem’s advances. Despite these serious allegations, the Nigerian Army exonerated the accused officer and claimed Ogunleye was discharged due to mental health issues. Ogunleye, however, disputes this, stating that she voluntarily resigned from service.
In a statement signed by MARF’s Executive Director Dr. Lemmy Ughegbe and Director of Strategic Development Dr. Augustine Eigbe, the Foundation raised concerns about the lack of transparency and called on the Army to publish its full findings.
“It is deeply troubling that the Nigerian Army has not made public the investigative findings that led to the exoneration of Colonel Abdulkareem and the discharge of Private Ogunleye,” the statement read. “In the interest of justice, we demand that the Army discloses the full report and provides a clear explanation of how it arrived at its decision.”
MARF also questioned the Army’s justification for Ogunleye’s discharge, especially as she has consistently maintained that she resigned of her own free will. The Foundation emphasized the need for an independent review of the case to ensure that Ogunleye’s rights were fully protected.
“The Nigerian Army must ensure that Private Ogunleye’s rights have been safeguarded and that due process was followed throughout the investigation,” MARF added, urging the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, to clarify her involvement, as referenced by Ogunleye.
MARF reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for survivors of gender-based violence and stressed that failure to address these concerns would undermine public trust in Nigeria’s institutions.
