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Attack on NDA Commandant: How Ruth Ogunleye’s Social Media Claims Are Colliding With the Facts

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Attack on NDA Commandant: How Ruth Ogunleye’s Social Media Claims Are Colliding With the Facts

By Zagazola Makama

There is a point at which a grievance stops being a grievance and becomes a campaign of accusation, intimidation and reputational destruction. The controversy surrounding ex-Private Ruth Ogunleye has now reached that point.

The Nigerian Army and its senior leadership last week came under renewed attack on social media following a series of fabricated allegations by former Private Ruth Ogunleye, but a review of the available record shows that several of the claims being circulated remain FALSE, unsubstantiated, while some are directly contradicted by established facts.

The latest episode involving Major General Oluyemi Olatoye, Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, illustrates the fundamental problem with Ogunleye’s current method.

In her viral video, Ogunleye spoke about someone she identified as “Abdul” allegedly being connected to the NDA Commandant and threatening to expose her intimate material, which she repeatedly referred to as her “noodles.” She then connected that threat to the NDA Commandant.

The allegation has since triggered a strong response from the NDA, which cautioned the public against relying on unverified social-media claims and disclosed that it had commenced appropriate legal processes over the matter.

The NDA subsequently stated publicly that the dispute involved a staff member, Mr Abubakar Isah, and that the issue was related to social-media infringement. The Academy said Ogunleye had brought the Commandant into the dispute through what it described as false allegations and attempted defamation.

According to the account supplied for this investigation, Ogunleye had already published the damaging video on her TikTok handle against the Commandant before contacting his office to establish who the person behind the alleged online threat was. It is only logical that if a person receives an online threat, the rational course is to preserve the evidence, identify the account holder, report the threat to the authority and allow an investigation to take place.

Instead, the allegation appears to have moved from: “Someone is threatening me” to: “This person may be connected to the Commandant” and then effectively to: “The Commandant is responsible.” That leap is precisely what requires scrutiny.

NDA investigations reportedly found that the person at the centre of the dispute was a civilian staff member of the NDA but was never known to Major General Olatoye. That distinction is crucial. Working around an institution does not automatically make someone an agent of its command structure. A civilian’s alleged conduct on social media cannot simply be attributed to the head of an institution without evidence establishing the connection.

The Most Damaging Part of the Claim

Ogunleye’s own words make the controversy even more complicated. In the video, she suggested that she and the Commandant had previously made an intimate video together and threatened that if her alleged intimate material appeared online, she would release his.

Yet, according to sources, when Ogunleye was subsequently contacted by someone, she denied actually having made such a sexual video with the Commandant. She claimed that she made those claims because she was scared and hoped that she could get his attention over the alleged threat by a staff member of the NDA.

If accurately documented, that contradiction is enormous. A claim made publicly as an apparent factual assertion cannot simply become a tactical statement whenever the consequences become uncomfortable. If she did not have such a video with the Commandant, then the public allegation was not merely an emotional complaint. It was a potentially devastating assertion about a serving senior military officer.

However, the NDA controversy cannot be properly understood without returning to the allegations that originally made Ogunleye nationally known.

In January 2024, while still a serving soldier, Ogunleye publicly accused Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem and other senior officers of sexual harassment, intimidation and other forms of mistreatment. Her allegations were extremely serious.

She alleged that Abdulkareem requested sex from her, that she refused, and that she subsequently suffered retaliation. She also made allegations involving attempted assault, injections, eviction, confinement and interference with her military career. Contemporary reports documented these claims.

The Army did not simply dismiss the allegations.
It investigated them. The Nigerian Army said the matter was referred to the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police and that the investigation examined the available facts, testimonies and evidence. The Army subsequently announced that Colonel Abdulkareem had not committed the sexual-harassment offence alleged against him.

On September 24, 2024, Army spokesperson Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said the investigation had examined the available facts, testimonies and evidence and found that Colonel Abdulkareem did not commit the offences alleged against him. Ogunleye made many videos insulting the late COAS.

She later apologised to then-Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja (late) while seeking a review of the case, saying she believed someone may have interfered with the result. That history matters because it demonstrates that the current false controversy did not begin with Major General Olatoye. But the important development in 2026 is that the allegations have moved to an entirely different level.

Her deliberate campaign of calumny later expanded beyond the original accused officer. Former Army spokesperson Major General Onyema Nwachukwu (rtd) became one of Ogunleye’s targets because he was the one who publicly announced the Army’s position at that time. The spokesperson did not conduct the investigation. He communicated the institution’s findings. Yet she made him another target of her controversial campaign in 2026. The same pattern is now visible in the treatment of Army public-relations personnel generally.

Ogunleye has reportedly made FALSE and deeply personal allegation against the current Army spokesperson, Col. Apollonia Anele in a targeted campaign of reputational destruction.

The escalation becomes even more striking when the target moves from individual officers to the highest level of current Army leadership.

The Dangers of Media Trial on TikTok

There is a broader lesson here. Social media has created an environment where an accusation can reach millions before anyone has had the opportunity to examine the evidence. A person can make a claim in a three-minute video.
Thousands can repost it. Commentators can repeat it. Bloggers can turn it into headlines.
The original allegation then returns to the public as though it has been independently confirmed.
It has not. It has merely been repeated. That is dangerous for everybody, including genuine victims of abuse. When unverified accusations become common, genuine victims can eventually find themselves competing for public attention with fabricated claims. That damages the credibility of legitimate whistleblowing.

A Repeated Formula

The emerging pattern is worth examining.
An allegation is made. A senior officer becomes the target. The allegation is amplified online.
The officer or institution responds. The response is interpreted as further evidence of persecution.
The dispute then expands to another senior officer. Eventually, the institution itself becomes the target. This creates a situation in which every response can be presented as evidence of guilt. If the Army speaks, it is accused of covering up. If it remains silent, the silence is presented as confirmation. If it investigates, the investigation is dismissed if the result is unfavourable. If it takes legal action, that becomes “intimidation.” Society will then become a battlefield of manufactured narratives.

The Military Must Remain Accountable—but Officers Also Have Rights

This does not mean that military officers should be immune from investigation. Far from it. If an officer sexually harasses a subordinate, he should face justice. If an officer abuses authority, he should be held accountable. If the Army conducts a flawed investigation, that investigation should be challenged. But accountability must operate in both directions. A person who is accused also has a right to due process. A senior officer does not lose his right to reputation simply because he wears a uniform. And a military institution does not become guilty merely because an allegation against it goes viral on social media.

The danger of the allegation against the Commandant is not simply that it is potentially defamatory. It demonstrates how easily a chain of assumptions can become a public accusation. This is where social-media trials become dangerous. An allegation can be emotionally compelling especially when it is told by the opposite gender. It can be delivered through tears. It can be repeated thousands of times. It can generate millions of views. None of those things converts an allegation into evidence. An allegation becomes established fact only after it survives appropriate scrutiny.

But rather than immediately engaging in a public argument with Ogunleye, the Commandant reportedly directed that the matter be taken to court. And that is precisely what a responsible and professional institution should do when confronted with an allegation like this. If Ogunleye possesses evidence against the Commandant, she should produce it before the competent authorities. But if the evidence is absent, just like she later admitted, the NDA Commandant must seek redress through a competent court of law.

Zagazola is a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region.

Attack on NDA Commandant: How Ruth Ogunleye’s Social Media Claims Are Colliding With the Facts

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Troops arrest three Fulani men in Plateau after farmer’s killing

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1 week ago

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September 14, 2026

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Troops arrest three Fulani men in Plateau after farmer’s killing

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Sector 6, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), have arrested three persons during a raid on two Fulani settlements in Bachi community, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The operation, conducted on Sept. 13, 2026, followed a manhunt for criminal elements responsible for the killing of a farmer at Fang community in Riyom LGA on Sept. 12.

During the raid at Baggat and Shong 2 Fulani hamlets, troops arrested three residents identified as Anas Usman, Nuhu Mohammad and Haruna Ahmed.

Security sources said the three suspects are not necessarily the perpetrators of the killing, but their arrest is part of efforts to mount pressure on local Fulani leaders to assist security agencies in identifying and producing those responsible for the crime.

The suspects are currently in custody for further investigation and intelligence exploitation.

Troops arrest three Fulani men in Plateau after farmer’s killing

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Talata Mafara Attack: ISN Demands Intelligence Overhaul, Special Courts to Crush Banditry

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September 12, 2026

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Talata Mafara Attack: ISN Demands Intelligence Overhaul, Special Courts to Crush Banditry

The Institute of Security, Nigeria (ISN) has called for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s approach to terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, warning that criminal groups are becoming increasingly organised and capable of challenging the authority of the state.

The institute made the call while reacting to the reported invasion of Talata Mafara market in Zamfara State, where non-state actors allegedly imposed a ₦50 million levy and demanded 100 livestock, giving residents a seven-day ultimatum.

The ISN said the development exposed the need for security agencies to move beyond reactive operations and adopt stronger intelligence-led strategies capable of identifying and dismantling criminal networks before they launch attacks.

In a statement signed by its Deputy President and Chief Executive Officer, Barr. Adebayo Akinade, the institute said the activities of terrorists and bandits were no longer limited to isolated attacks but increasingly involved the control of economic activities, collection of illegal levies and disruption of legitimate livelihoods.

It warned that such activities could gradually establish a parallel system of criminal authority in affected communities if left unchecked.

The institute consequently urged the Federal and state governments to establish a coordinated security framework bringing together federal security agencies, state security outfits and vetted community guards.

It also called for the creation of a National Security Fusion Centre, supported by state-level fusion desks, to facilitate real-time intelligence sharing and faster responses to emerging threats.

According to the ISN, security agencies should penetrate criminal networks operating around markets, cattle-rustling routes and illicit livestock value chains while targeting the logistics and financial structures sustaining banditry.

It recommended regulated livestock markets and improved tracking systems to prevent stolen cattle from being absorbed into legitimate commercial channels.

The institute further proposed special courts for terrorism, kidnapping and banditry cases, arguing that a faster judicial process would strengthen the fight against organised criminal groups.

It urged the government to deploy modern technologies, including forest geo-fencing, livestock tracking, drones and citizen-reporting platforms, alongside improved tactical mobility and air surveillance.

The ISN also called for a two-hour rapid-response mechanism in vulnerable areas and increased investment in night-vision equipment and other specialised capabilities.

Beyond security operations, the institute advocated stronger community-based early-warning systems and local peace and security forums involving traditional rulers, farmers, market unions, faith organisations and civil society groups.

It urged citizens to report threats rather than surrendering to ransom and illegal levy demands, while encouraging communities to document attacks and preserve evidence for investigations and prosecution.

The institute said professional training in terrorism studies, intelligence management and counter-banditry operations should be strengthened as part of efforts to build a more effective national security architecture.

The ISN reaffirmed its readiness to support government and security agencies through research, training, policy advisory services and professional certification, saying a coordinated response was essential to restoring public confidence and protecting national development.

Talata Mafara Attack: ISN Demands Intelligence Overhaul, Special Courts to Crush Banditry

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2026 Peace and Dialogue Awards: IPCR, Ufuk Foundation Call for Collective Investment in Peace

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September 11, 2026

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2026 Peace and Dialogue Awards: IPCR, Ufuk Foundation Call for Collective Investment in Peace

By: Michael Mike

The Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, has called on governments, businesses, civil society organisations, religious and traditional institutions, communities and individuals to invest deliberately in peacebuilding, warning that the cost of conflict far exceeds the resources required to prevent it.

Ochogwu made the call on Thursday, September 10, 2026, while delivering a lecture titled “Investing in Peace: A Collective Responsibility for Everyone” at the 2026 Peace and Dialogue Awards organised by the Ufuk Dialogue Foundation Nigeria in collaboration with the IPCR in Abuja.

He said the awards should go beyond recognising individuals and organisations contributing to peacebuilding, stressing that Nigeria must begin to treat peace as an investment requiring consistent resources, planning and accountability.

According to Ochogwu, global military expenditure exceeded $2.4 trillion in 2024, while peacebuilding expenditure remained below $60 billion, representing about 2.5 per cent of military spending.

He questioned why trillions of dollars could be mobilised for conflict and military expenditure while significantly smaller amounts remained difficult to commit to conflict prevention and peaceful societies.

Ochogwu said the message was consistent with the 2026 International Day of Peace and International Day of UN Peacekeepers, but noted that the IPCR had further domesticated it as “Invest in Peace for Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday.”

“Peace cannot be a seasonal product for September 21st; it must be deliberate, daily, and for all,” he said.

He identified early-warning systems, peace education, youth employment, interfaith literacy, justice reform, community mediation, psychosocial healing, and greater participation of women and young people as key areas requiring investment.

The IPCR Director-General noted that the benefits of peacebuilding were often measured by conflicts that never occurred, making its returns less visible than conventional security spending.

He stressed that peacebuilding interventions must reflect the specific causes of conflicts in different parts of Nigeria. He identified extremism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West and North-Central, resource-related conflicts across the Middle Belt, separatist agitation in the South-East and urban fragility as major security and conflict challenges.

He also said West Africa and the Sahel were facing a convergence of violent extremism, unconstitutional political transitions, farmer-herder tensions and climate-induced displacement.

“A blanket approach will fail,” he warned, urging policymakers to develop interventions based on the specific drivers of conflict in each community and region.

Ochogwu also linked economic development to sustainable peace, saying the Federal Government’s economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda could contribute directly and indirectly to peacebuilding.

He said job creation, poverty reduction and addressing economic vulnerabilities could help prevent communities and young people from becoming susceptible to conflict and violent mobilisation.

“Economic renewal is not a separate track; it is the bedrock on which peace is sustained,” he said.

He identified a perception gap, fragmentation of interventions, funding misalignment and the absence of effective mechanisms for tracking peace expenditure and its impact as major obstacles to peace investment.

According to him, less than 0.5 per cent of the budgets of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were coded for peacebuilding, while corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending rarely reached peacebuilding initiatives.

He therefore called for a system to track who invests in peace, how much is invested, where resources are deployed and the results achieved.

Ochogwu warned that failure to invest in peace carries significant economic and humanitarian consequences. He cited an estimated $19.1 trillion global economic cost of violence in 2024, equivalent to about 13.5 per cent of global GDP.

He added that every dollar not invested in conflict prevention could ultimately cost significantly more in humanitarian response and reconstruction.

According to him, farmer-herder conflicts had resulted in losses estimated at more than $14 billion over five years, while infrastructure damage in the North-East had exceeded $9 billion, with about 2.2 million people displaced.

“The cost of not investing in peace far exceeds the cost of investing in it,” he said.

To address the challenges, Ochogwu proposed a five-point compact aimed at making peacebuilding a shared responsibility across Nigerian society.

He called for the speedy implementation of the National Peace Policy, the establishment of a National Peace Investment Fund, legislation for a minimum three per cent peacebuilding allocation across relevant MDAs, and stronger coordination and early-warning responsibilities for the IPCR.

He also proposed committing at least one per cent of CSR expenditure to peacebuilding initiatives, including mediation centres, school peace clubs, early-warning technology and youth employment programmes in vulnerable communities.

The IPCR boss urged faith, traditional and community leaders to institutionalise interfaith dialogue and community-level dispute-resolution mechanisms in every ward, saying vulnerable communities often need trusted local mediators more than externally organised workshops.

He further called for stronger action against hate speech and disinformation, the generation of locally relevant evidence and the development of a Peace Investment Tracker Dashboard at the IPCR.

Ochogwu urged individuals and communities to make peace part of their daily conduct by avoiding escalation, accommodating neighbours, reporting early-warning signs and mentoring vulnerable young people.

“Peace must become everyone’s business,” he said.

The Chairperson of the 2026 Peace and Dialogue Awards, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu, NPM, also said peace and democracy were mutually reinforcing, stressing the importance of peaceful engagement in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic development.

2026 Peace and Dialogue Awards: IPCR, Ufuk Foundation Call for Collective Investment in Peace

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