How senior officers sexually harassed me, locked me in guardroom for refusing to sleep with them – Ex- Nigerian Army nurse alleges

Former Army Corporal Matilda Anighoro has petitioned the Special Investigation Bureau with harrowing allegations of sexual harassment, unlawful detention, and torture against General S.O. Okoigi, claiming she was subjected to “a living hell” for refusing the senior officer’s sexual advances.

A former Nigerian Army corporal and nurse with the Medical Corps, Matilda Anighoro, has filed a formal petition with the Special Investigation Bureau alleging a campaign of sexual harassment and physical torture led by General S.O. Okoigi. Anighoro, who was stationed at the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, claims her refusal to enter a sexual relationship with the General resulted in coordinated ill-treatment, unlawful detention, and her eventual forced resignation. “I was sexually harassed and ill-treated, that is why I resigned,” she stated, adding that before her exit was approved, “my Corps Commander, General Okoigi, tried to force me to accept to sleep with him.” She further alleged that the General used his influence to turn her professional life into a “witch-hunt” involving other officers

The petition details a harrowing account of a 16-day detention in a single-person guardroom under “harsh conditions” where she was allegedly stripped of her rank and subjected to hard labour. Anighoro described a specific encounter where the General purportedly offered to end her suffering in exchange for sexual favors. “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,” she recounted. During her time in the guardroom, she alleged she was denied basic dignities, stating, “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.”

Beyond the allegations against the Corps Commander, Anighoro accused several other officers of physical assault and systemic humiliation. She claimed a Regimental Sergeant Major “pushed and threw me to the wall” and that she was kicked during punitive labour assignments. The former corporal also noted that she was subjected to repeated, unnecessary drug tests and was threatened with dangerous postings to the North-East as punishment for her non-compliance. While the Nigerian Army has not issued a formal public response to the specific details of the petition as of Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the allegations have sparked renewed concerns regarding the safety and treatment of female personnel within the nation’s military hierarchy.

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