Ex-soldier‌‌‌ Ruth Ogunleye jailed over TikTok videos against NDA Commandant

A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has convicted ex-Army Private, Ruth Ogunleye over defamatory TikTok videos against the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye.

Delivering the judgement on Tuesday in Kaduna, Justice Rilwanu Aikawa sentenced Ogunleye to a fine of N500,000 and one year imprisonment on each of two counts, with the custodial sentences running concurrently.

However, Aikawa suspended the two-year custodial sentence for three years under a plea bargain agreement.

The judgment followed an agreement reached between the prosecution and the defendant pursuant to Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

Ogunleye was initially arraigned on a five-count charge instituted by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, over alleged defamatory videos circulated through her TikTok account, @ogunleyeruthsavage, in August 2026.

The prosecution accused her of intentionally transmitting and publishing videos containing allegations against Olatoye, knowing them to be false.

The publications allegedly sought to cause annoyance, insult, injury, hatred, ill will and damage to the reputation of the senior military officer.

One of the charges centred on a TikTok video captioned, “Maj.-Gen. Yemi Olatoye is responsible for my death”, in which she allegedly displayed his photograph.

Another count concerned a publication captioned, “I go post your oga own too, your oga own dey my phone”, in which she allegedly referred to the NDA Commandant.

The five-count charge also contained allegations relating to claims that she possessed intimate photographs of the senior military officer and threatened to publish materials concerning him.

The offences were brought under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended by the Cybercrimes Amendment Act 2024.

Information obtained from the prosecuting counsel, Suraju Muhammad, of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Kaduna, indicated that the case originated from a Magistrate Court in Kaduna.

Muhammad, who is the OC Legal, Force CID, said the matter was referred to the AIG, Force CID Annex, Kaduna, on Sept. 7, following a direct criminal complaint.

He said the police commenced investigations by inviting Olatoye to formally adopt his petition.

According to him, the investigators subsequently travelled to Lagos, where Ogunleye was arrested on September 12.

She was moved to Kaduna on September 13 and remanded in prison custody on September 14, on cognisance by the Magistrate Court.

Muhammad said the police filed a five-count charge against her on October 5, following the conclusion of the initial investigation.

However, following negotiations between the parties, a plea bargain agreement was reached, under which Ogunleye pleaded guilty to Counts One and Two.

The agreement provided for the withdrawal of the remaining three counts upon her conviction.