The Nigerian Army (NA), in its reaction to claims by a female soldier of maltreatment by senior officers, has said it will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
The Army Public Relations Officer, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, made this known in a statement on Saturday, 13 January 2024.
TheFact Daily reports that the female soldier, in a TikTok video clip lasting almost 6 minutes, had claimed that she had been maltreated by one Col. IB Abdulkareem, for refusing his sexual advances, and that all attempts for the intervention of other senior officers proved abortive.
The young lady in mufti, also mentioned other officers, Col GS Ogor, and Brig. Gen. IB Solebo as being co-conspirators, in what she called an attempt to “deboard” her from the Army due to mental illness.
The NA in its statement however posited that “the soldier in question has not exhausted the laid down procedure for seeking redress in the NA. This is aside from 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 averred that it 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, and therefore encouraged all personnel to always utilize the established channels for addressing grievances and concerns as a member of a noble and disciplined force.
The NA further assured that it would, as an institution committed to upholding the integrity and morals of its personnel, take appropriate actions based on the findings of the investigation.
