A former nurse and corporal of the Nigerian Army, Matilda Anighoro, has accused senior military officers of sexual harassment, unlawful detention, and sustained abuse, alleging she was forced out of service after rejecting repeated sexual advances.
Anighoro, who served as a nurse under the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, said her ordeal began at the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, where she was posted before her resignation in 2024.
In a petition to the Special Investigation Bureau, she specifically accused a senior officer, S.O. Okoigi, of persistently demanding a sexual relationship and orchestrating reprisals when she refused.
“I was sexually harassed and ill-treated, that is why I resigned,” she said. “Before my resignation was approved after 10 months, I went through hell, because my Corps Commander, General Okoigi, tried to force me to accept to sleep with him.”
She alleged that her refusal triggered a pattern of intimidation involving other officers, which she described as a coordinated “witch-hunt.”
“General Okoigi requested to have a sexual relationship with me, which I turned down several times,” she said. “This made him use other officers to try to pressure me until it began to turn to punishment and a witch-hunt.”
According to her, the pressure escalated into threats of punitive postings, including deployment to the North-East, while her attempts to escalate the matter to higher authorities were blocked.
Anighoro said she submitted her resignation in November 2023, but instead of relief, she was allegedly subjected to harsher treatment, including a controversial posting order to Sokoto.
She further recounted an encounter at the Corps Commander’s office, which she described as degrading.
“On getting to the Corps Commander’s office, I was treated like an accused and a slave,” she said.
“I was locked in the guardroom, and multiple drug tests were conducted on me. My hair was loosened, and I was made to clear the grass behind the Corps Commander’s office.
“The Corps Commander was shouting at me to tell him who helped me write for the Corps Commander interview, that I was not brilliant enough to write this, and that the Captain who helped Private Ruth Ogunleye to write her letters had been caught.”
She alleged that she was detained for over two weeks under harsh conditions, stripped of her rank, and subjected to degrading treatment.
“I was marched to the guardroom for 14 days’ imprisonment with hard labour, but I did 16 days instead, along with 14 days of extra duty. Inside the guardroom, I was locked in a single-man room and instructed not to be allowed out.
“I menstruated on myself inside the guardroom. For almost 10 days, I was not allowed to come out, until they needed to clean the newly renovated gynecology and maternity ward. I was marched every morning for five days to clean the ward.
“When taking me for labour work, General Okoigi on his convoy vehicle stopped and walked back to us in front of Napex, Opposite Admin block and told the RP Private Omeje to go call CO Admin in his office.
“Private Omeje left and General Okoigi told me that until I accept his sexual offer, he will continue to make me suffer. That he instructed my Commander and CO Admin to seize my rank, that he is going to make my life a living hell, except I accept to sleep with him.
“That immediately I accepted, he was going to return my rank back to me, because he instructed them not to forward it to Army Headquarters, and all the suffering and witch-hunt will stop.”
Beyond detention, she also accused other officers of physical assault during punishment drills.
“He pushed and threw me to the wall,” she said, alleging that a Regimental Sergeant Major assaulted her and that she was later kicked during labour exercises.
Despite completing her punishment, Anighoro claimed the alleged harassment continued, including being placed on continuous morning shifts as a form of punishment.
“I was placed on continuous morning shift,” she said, linking the action to her refusal to comply with the alleged sexual demands.
Although her voluntary discharge was eventually approved in September 2024, she alleged that efforts were made to downgrade her rank from Corporal to Private.
“When my voluntary discharge came out, they still refused to return my rank,” she said.
She further claimed that adverse reports were sent to authorities in Abuja to alter her official records.
“Maj. Monday Motel started calling me from DPM Abuja that a second brief was just sent to him from my Corps Commander Gen Okoigi, which stated I was a bad soldier and instructed him to change my discharge certificate to Private soldier.
“That he has already done that, and he is waiting to deal with me when I come to Abuja for my documentation,” she alleged.
Fearing further intimidation, she said she abandoned the documentation process entirely.
Anighoro also alleged that she has been denied her financial entitlements since leaving the Army.
“Until now, I have not been paid my gratuity, packing allowance, three months’ combined pension start and monthly pension,” she said.
She further raised concerns over due process, claiming she was not provided with records of proceedings prior to disciplinary actions taken against her.
“I was not given a record of proceedings before the order,” she said, adding that documents relating to her alleged demotion contained no stated offence.