Karen-Happuch: Coalition Raises Alarm Over Police Action With Autopsy Report
BY OLAKUNLE AWONIYI, ABUJA – A Coalition of Gender Based Violence (GBV), has raised alarm over infractions and failure of the Nigeria Police Force FCT Command to release the autopsy report of 14-year old Karen-Happuch Akpagher, who was allegedly raped at Premiere Academy, Lugbe in Abuja.
The Late Akpagher was a boarding student in the Abuja-based school before her untimely death in a hospital in Abuja.
The leader of the coalition and founder of Men Against Rape Foundation, Lemmy Ughegbe, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja that there is a deliberate attempt by the FCT Police not to release the report and undermining the process by giving advance information to the school whereas it refused to give same to the family of the deceased.
Ughegbe said that whereas the FCT Police Command flagrantly denied the family access to the medical and autopsy reports or detailed information thereof, it was more generous with availing Premiere Academy of the information contained in the said autopsy.
According to him; “Last week, I received a “love letter” from the law firm of Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) acting for Premiere Academy, wherein it threatened to take out an action of defamation against me. In the said letter dated 3rd of September 2021, the law firm confirmed that they already have details of the autopsy report as they disclosed the content of the autopsy report.
“Specifically on page two of the four-page letter signed by the head of chambers, Mr. Eyitayo Fatogun, it stated ‘there has been an autopsy carried out on the body of late Karen and no condom or semen was detected.
“This is another inconvertible evidence that the police was conniving with the school and conferring them with undue advantage by giving them information regarding its investigation on one hand and refusing Keren’s family same on the other hand,” he said.
Ughegbe said the disclosure in the letter from the law firm of the eminent senior advocate was even more disturbing when the police had declare its unwillingness to disclose information about the autopsy report to the complainant and mother of the deceased.
He further said; “The police received the autopsy report exactly three weeks ago but were silent on it. following that silence, two weeks and two days after the police had received the report, the lawyer for the family of the deceased had to apply for a copy of the autopsy report and the medical report pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.
“This caused deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Mr. Pam Joseph to invite the lawyer as well as premiere academy and their lawyer to the command,” Ughegbe stated.
He noted that during that meeting, the DCP Joseph told the lawyer for the deceased family that it was refusing the FOI request for the autopsy report and medical report and instead proceeded to read a terse narrative of the coroner inquest and not the autopsy report.
Meanwhile, a visibly distraught mother, Mrs. Vivien Akpagher, during the press briefing said, “I have not slept since the 22nd of June, 2021 when my daughter died. I just want closure. I want the police to give us justice. I am tired of all these games.”
