Death Of Keren: HURIWA Asks IGP To Probe FCT Command
…vows to mobilise youths for a mega rally for removal of Women Affairs & Education Ministers for silence, inaction
Following allegations of likely compromise against the FCT Police Command over the alleged rape of a 14 year old boarding student of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Keren-Happuch Akpagher, which eventually led to her death as a result of health complications, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba to investigate the command.
This is just as the mother of Keren-Happuch, Vivien Vihimiga Akpagher had filed a complaint against Premiere Academy, Lugbe following her daughter’s death on June 22, 2021.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA noted that the FCT Police Command has been shoddy, unprofessional and biased in handling the complaint filed by the mother of the deceased.
HURIWA also berated the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen and her counterpart in the Ministry of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for their silence and inaction in bringing pressure to bear on the police to fish out the alleged rapist(s) and bring him/them to book, stressing that it amounted to an abdication of responsibility by both ministers.
Accordingly, HURIWA demanded that they awaken to their responsibility on the instant case otherwise, it will join forces with other Civil Society Organisations to mobilise teeming Nigeria youths to march to the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly to demand that they be removed from office.
The organisation also expressed disappointment in the National Human Rights Commission and the Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) for not acting on the official petitions filed by the Coalition of Gender Based Violence Responders almost three months after.
Part of the statement reads; “In the last four months, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) has observed with disbelief and consternation the shoddy and unprofessional handling by the FCT Police Command of investigation into the allegation of rape of 14 year old Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher against her school, Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, which consequently led to her death on the 22nd of June 2021.
“We note with utmost displeasure the refusal of the Deputy Commissioner at the FCT Police Command, Mr. Fom Pam Joseph despite the service on his office of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to release the medical and autopsy reports to the family of Keren-Happuch, yet it is on record that he allegedly released same report to the said Premiere Academy as admitted by the acting principal of the school, Mr. Chris Akinsonwon in an interview he granted punch newspaper published on 14th of September2021.
“We must condemn the alleged bias and favouritism extended to Premiere Academy by the team at the FCT Command even as we state clearly that it is the right of every family of to have a copy of the medical and autopsy reports of their deceased relative,” HURIWA said.
HURIWA therefore called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to immediately order the FCT Command to make copies of the medical and autopsy reports available to the family of Keren-Happuch.
