The Federal High Court in Kaduna has convicted Ruth Ogunleye over defamatory TikTok publications against the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Major General Oluyemi Thomas Olatoye, imposing a total fine of ₦500,000 and a two-year custodial sentence suspended for three years under a plea bargain agreement.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Rilwanu Aikawa of Court One, Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division, following a plea bargain 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, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, over alleged defamatory videos circulated through her TikTok account, @ogunleyeruthsavage, on or about 14 August 2026.
The prosecution alleged that she intentionally published videos containing false claims against the NDA Commandant, with the intention of causing annoyance, insult, injury, hatred, ill will and damage to his reputation.
One of the charges concerned a TikTok video captioned, “Maj General Yemi Olatoye is responsible for my death,” in which she allegedly displayed the senior officer’s photograph. Another related to a publication captioned, “I go post your oga own too, your oga own dey my phone,” alongside statements concerning the NDA Commandant.
The charges also included allegations that Ogunleye claimed to possess 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 in 2024.
However, following negotiations between the parties, Ogunleye pleaded guilty to Counts One and Two, while the prosecution agreed to withdraw Counts Three, Four and Five upon her conviction.
Under the plea bargain agreement, the court imposed a fine of ₦250,000 on each of the two counts, bringing the total to ₦500,000. She was also sentenced to one year imprisonment on each count, with the terms to run concurrently. The custodial sentence was, however, suspended for three years, subject to her compliance with the conditions of the agreement.
Among the conditions, Ogunleye is required to demonstrate remorse, undertake not to engage in similar conduct and tender a public apology in two national daily newspapers within 14 days of sentencing, in a form approved by counsel to the nominal complainant.
The agreement also prohibits her from making further statements or publications concerning the NDA Commandant, whether through spoken words, text messages, social media platforms or any other means. She is equally barred from contacting him directly or indirectly.
Additionally, she is required to delete all posts and videos relating to the nominal complainant from her TikTok accounts and other accounts under her control within 48 hours of her release from custody. The agreement also prohibits her from republishing or sharing the materials.
It further stipulates that any breach of specified conditions during the three-year suspension period could result in her being brought back before the court to serve the suspended custodial sentence, subject to the court establishing that a breach has occurred. Her undertaking not to make further publications or contact the nominal complainant is also stated to remain binding for life.
During proceedings, Justice Aikawa sought confirmation from Ogunleye that she understood and accepted the terms of the plea bargain, including the issuance of a restraining order under Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, to remain in force until further order of the court. Her defence counsel, I.S. Yahaya, subsequently endorsed the agreement.
Speaking after the proceedings, Mohammed Sani Katu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), counsel to the nominal complainant, said the matter was resolved through a plea bargain after the defendant’s lawyer approached the prosecution to explore an amicable resolution.
Katu explained that the case initially involved five counts following Ogunleye’s arrest, but the parties eventually agreed that she would plead guilty to two counts while the remaining three would be withdrawn.
He said the court subsequently adopted the negotiated terms, imposing the fines and custodial sentences, with the prison terms suspended for three years to allow the defendant an opportunity to demonstrate remorse and comply with the conditions.
The senior lawyer stressed that the suspended sentence had not been cancelled, warning that any breach of the agreed conditions could lead to the defendant being returned to court to serve the custodial term.
He added that the restrictions were intended to prevent further publications or contact involving the nominal complainant and ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement.
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