Former Nigerian soldier convicted over TikTok videos targeting a general
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Post
A federal court in Kaduna has convicted former soldier Ruth Ogunleye over TikTok videos targeting Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye, commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Under a plea bargain agreement, she pleaded guilty to two of five counts, according to Daily Post Nigeria.
The Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday convicted Ruth Ogunleye, a former Nigerian soldier, over TikTok videos containing allegations against Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye, commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Daily Post reports. The police accused her of knowingly spreading false claims to damage his reputation.
The prosecution was based on section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015, as amended in 2024. The initial charges also referred to possession of intimate photos of the officer and threats to disclose them. According to prosecutor Suraju Muhammad, of the Force CID, the complaint was forwarded on 7 September. Ms Ogunleye was arrested in Lagos on 12 September, then placed in detention in Kaduna on the 14th. The police filed five counts on 5 October.
A plea bargain agreement dated 9 November formed the basis of the judgment. She pleaded guilty to the first two counts, with the other three dropped. She must pay 250,000 naira per count, or 500,000 naira in total. She must also publish apologies in two national newspapers within 14 days, with a text approved by the complainant’s lawyer.
She must no longer speak about the general or contact him, directly or through a third party. She must delete, within 48 hours of her release, all videos and posts concerning him, and not republish them.
