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The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has provided an update on the state of a female Nigerian soldier, Ruth Ogunleye, who recently accused her superiors of abusing her.
According to the minister, the soldier is under observation of officers from both the Nigerian Army and the Ministry of Women Affairs while currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Kennedy-Ohanenye shared the update in a post on her X, former Twitter, account on Thursday, January 25, 2024.
Ruth's matter gained widespread attention after she appeared in a video that later went viral, accusing a colonel and two other senior officers of subjecting her to stigmatisation, intimidation, and sexual harassment.
She asserted that the colonel made her life a living hell and halted her February 2023 salary after she rejected his advances.
The female soldier added that she reported the incident to higher authorities, but her grievances were purportedly dismissed as the colonel labelled her as mentally ill.
The minister 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.”