The Nigerian Army has vowed to carry out an investigation after a female soldier serving in Lagos State, claimed some senior officers are allegedly after her life and have been oppressing her for rejecting their sexual advances.
In a video that has gone viral,
the female soldier who did not give her name, lamented how the senior Army
officers who she identified as Col. IB Abdulkareem, Col. GS Ogor and Brig. Gen.
IB Solebo have been oppressing her since she was posted to Cantonment Medical
Centre, Ojo, Lagos in 2022, for refusing their sexual advances.
According to her, she has been
locked up several times for no reason, ejected from her apartment, locked up in
a psychiatric hospital for a month without any medication with a claim that she
has mental illness and her account frozen since February 2023 without salary
for no reason.
She further alleged that Col.
Abdulkareem had made some attempts to sexually assault her but when he was
found out, he claimed that she had mental illness, adding that she had made
several efforts including writing a petition and getting some senior and junior
officers to intervene but to no avail.
She also said that Col.
Abdulkareem had denied her access to military courses, and that when her father
contacted Col. Abdulkareem over her issues, he (Abdulkareem) told her father to
ask her to obey the last order.
“I know definitely they will
come for me. They will lock me up and they will dismiss me but I don’t care. I
can’t endure again. Before coming out to make this video, I can’t endure again.
I don’t want to die young. If anything should happen to me, please hold Col. IB
Abdulkareem, Col. GS Ogor and Brig. Gen. IB Solebo responsible, because they
don’t want me to grow. They don’t want my progress.
This is what happened. In 2022,
I was posted to Cantonment Medical Center, Ojo where I met Col. IB Abdulkareem,
who requested sex from me and I refused. Ever since then, this man has been my
nightmare in the army. He threatened to dismiss me each time he sees me.
He ejected me from my room,
sent some boys to my house. I have all the evidence and I have witness. He came
to my house to eject me.
Each time I try to expose him
or each time any senior officer tries to intervene, he also stigmatizes me,
that I have mental illness. He would always tell them that I have mental
illness.
He wrote to DOA three times to
board me out of the Army. He froze my account for one year. He froze my account
since February last year (2023) till date, no salary.
I have cried to some senior
officers. I wrote a petition using Section 179 of the Armed Forces Act. I have
seen so many officers, senior officers, junior officers to intervene but none
of them is giving me a listening ear. Any time anyone tries to intervene, he
will tell them that I have mental illness.
There was a day he locked me,
he almost raped me and when they caught him, he said I have mental illness and
he took me to a psychiatric hospital and locked me up there for one month
without any medication.
He has denied me access to
military courses, meanwhile, they know very well that my progression in the
army is determined by my course attendance. No course. I have been given
admission in a medical school but he refused to release me.
There was a day I called my dad
and my dad intervened but he told my dad to tell me to obey the last order.
What is the last order? For him to sleep with me? He has denied me everything.
I can’t even go on passes to see my parents. No pass, no leave for me. But
please and please, if anything should happen to me, hold them responsible,
especially Col. IB Abdulkareem, Col. GS Ogor and Brig. Gen. IB Solebo. They are
my nightmare in the Army.
They have done everything to
tarnish my image because they are all course mates. I don't know what I have
done to them. Till today I haven’t collected salary. I can’t endure this again.
Let the worst happen.”
The army in a release by
Major-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director Army Public Relations, on Friday
January 12, said the female soldier had yet to inform relevant bodies and
institutions about her predicament before releasing a video.
“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
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.”
He assured Nigerians that the
Nigerian Army 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."
Via its X handle today, the
Nigerian Army asked the public to allow investigations into the allegations and
refrain from making hasty judgments.
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