BREAKING: Ex-Soldier Ruth Ogunleye, Who Accused Defence Minister Musa Of Ignoring Sexual Harassment Complaint, Arrested Ruth Ogunleye
A source familiar with the development disclosed that Ogunleye was taken from Lagos to Kaduna and is being held in custody while awaiting trial.
Former Nigerian soldier Ruth Ogunleye, who accused senior military officers of sexual harassment and alleged that they failed to act on her complaints, has reportedly been arrested and transferred from Lagos to a prison in Kaduna State.
A source familiar with the development disclosed that Ogunleye was taken from Lagos to Kaduna and is being held in custody while awaiting trial. However, the circumstances surrounding her reported arrest, the allegations against her, and the specific charges she may be facing remain unclear.
Ruth Ogunleye has been arrested on the orders of the Minister of Defence, CG Musa. She has been moved from Lagos to Abuja prison, where she is awaiting trial,” the source said.
Ogunleye previously made headlines after publicly accusing Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem of sexual harassment and alleging that other senior officers failed to protect her after she complained about his conduct.
Among the officers she accused of failing to act on her complaints was General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.), who was then the Chief of Defence Staff and is now Nigeria’s Minister of Defence.
In an interview monitored by SaharaReporters in September 2024, Ogunleye alleged that she had sought Musa’s intervention, alongside that of other senior officers, but received no meaningful assistance.
“I sought intervention from people like General C. G. Musa, the current Chief of Defence Staff. I told him. I told so many officers. I sought redress but nothing was done because he is my senior, and nobody was ready to give me a listening ear,” she said.
Ogunleye also alleged that she had pursued redress through military procedures, including Section 179 of the Armed Forces Act, but her complaints were not adequately addressed.
In January 2024, she publicly accused Abdulkareem, Colonel G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo of intimidation and other forms of alleged maltreatment after she rejected what she described as unwanted sexual advances.
The Nigerian Army subsequently investigated her allegations and said it found no evidence to substantiate the sexual harassment claims against Abdulkareem. The Army also maintained that Ogunleye was discharged from service on medical grounds following medical assessments.
In October 2024, Ogunleye appealed for a review of her case, saying she believed someone might have tampered with the investigation's findings. She also expressed concern about the stigma surrounding the case and its implications for her reputation.
It remains unclear whether her reported arrest and transfer to Kaduna are connected to her previous allegations against military officers or to an unrelated matter.
SaharaReporters contacted the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Colonel Appolonia Anele, to seek further information about the circumstances of her reported arrest, her current legal status and the authorities responsible for her transfer. However, she did not answer calls to her phone or respond to a message sent to her







