A Federal High Court in Kaduna has convicted Ruth Ogunleye over defamatory TikTok videos concerning the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye. Justice Rilwanu Aikawa sentenced her to a fine of 500,000 naira and one year imprisonment on each of two counts, with the custodial terms to run concurrently but suspended for three years under a plea bargain agreement.
The judgment, delivered on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, followed an agreement between the prosecution and Ogunleye pursuant to Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. She was initially arraigned on a five-count charge instituted by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, over videos allegedly published on her TikTok account, @ogunleyeruthsavage, in August 2026. The prosecution accused her of knowingly transmitting false allegations against Olatoye with the intention of causing annoyance, injury, hatred and damage to his reputation.
The charges included videos captioned, “Maj.-Gen. Yemi Olatoye is responsible for my death” and “I go post your oga own too, your oga own dey my phone”. Other allegations concerned claims that she possessed intimate photographs of the senior officer and threatened to publish materials about him. The offences were brought under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended in 2024.
Under the plea bargain, Ogunleye pleaded guilty to the first two counts, while the prosecution agreed to withdraw the remaining three. She was ordered to pay 250,000 naira on each count, totalling 500,000 naira in favour of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The agreement also requires her to demonstrate remorse, tender a public apology in two national newspapers within 14 days and refrain from making statements or publications concerning the complainant.
The conditions further prohibit Ogunleye from contacting Olatoye directly or indirectly, or publishing or sharing materials relating to him. She is required to delete all relevant posts and videos from her TikTok and other accounts within 48 hours of her release from custody. The agreement provides that any breach during the three-year suspension period could lead to her being brought back before the court to serve the suspended custodial sentence. The restrictions on contacting or publishing about the complainant are stated to remain binding for life, alongside a restraining order under Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act.
Counsel to the nominal complainant, Mohammed Katu, SAN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the proceedings that the case was resolved through a plea bargain following negotiations between the parties. He said the suspended sentence was intended to give Ogunleye an opportunity to comply with the conditions, adding that any established violation could result in the enforcement of the prison term.
The court confirmed that Ogunleye understood and accepted the agreement, which was also endorsed by her defence counsel, J.S. Yahaya.
Leave a Reply