Keren-Happuch: House Of Reps Directs IGP To Conduct DNA On Premiere Academy Staff
Determined to fish out the killer-rapists of 14-year-old Late Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akphagher, the House of Representatives has directed the Inspector General of Police to conduct DNA on all staff of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja and march it with the dead spermatozoa found in her urine.
Keren died on June 22, 2021, after contracting sepsis as a result of a condom left inside her after being raped allegedly at Premiere Academy, Lugbe, where she was a boarding student.
After over five months after she died, the Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, Women Affairs and Education have, Mohammed Bello, Dame Pauline Tallen and Adamu Adamu have neither spoken nor taken any action to ensure that the culprit is found, brought to book, and the school investigated over its complicity leading to Keren’s rape and death.
This prompted the Coalition of Gender-Based Violence Responders led by the Executive Director of Men Against Rape Foundation (MARF), Lemmy Ughegbe to embark on a protest walk to the National Assembly with Keren’s mother, Mrs Vivien Vihimga Akphagher, and other family members.
Leader of the Coalition, Lemmy Ughegbe accused the Ministers of FCT, Education, and Women Affairs of a conspiracy of silence and inaction.
According to Ughegbe; “Incentivising rape and pedophilia emboldens rapists and pedophiles and makes schools and the society unsafe for our children and the vulnerable.
“When the grandson of a political elite was allegedly beaten to death by his teacher in a school in Kwali, all the ministers picked up the story from social media within minutes and took some steps immediately, but five months after Keren died following health complications and despite our correspondence to them, they have been in a conspiracy of silence and inaction,” he lamented.
Ughegbe said by their inaction, they have shown that all they are interested in is servicing of the political elites and their families while acting as if Keren’s life doesn’t matter.
He vowed that he and other concerned stakeholders shall continue to call them out for the ineffectual and hypocritical public officers that they are.
While addressing the protesters, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was represented by Hon. Mark Gbilah, said the entire parliament was pained by the sad circumstances leading to the death of Keren, declaring that no school was above the law.
According to Gbilah; ”the house is in session, but when we were notified that you people were here on a peaceful protest, the speaker asked me to come and address you people. I am therefore here at his instance. Yesterday, I was able to table the motion on the floor of the house and I made very far-reaching demands and what you said about DNA test is specifically indicated as a requirement and the police have been mandated to initiate an investigation through the Inspector General of Police on this matter.
“They have been told to carry out a DNA test on everybody in that school. They have informed me that the spermatozoa have been preserved so that we will know who is responsible for this act.
“Also we are going to have a public investigative hearing and the Minister of Women Affairs, Minister of FCT, the Inspector General of Police, Minister of Education and the school authority will be invited.
“It is a shame that our children can no longer be safe and this is totally unacceptable. But let me assure you that for some of us when we start something, we follow it to the end. So, please, we will need the news report where the police confirmed that Keren was raped. This will be useful for the investigative panel. I assure you justice shall be done and we will find the culprit, he,” he said.
On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, Hon Gbilah moved a motion to investigate the school, which was adopted by the House of Representatives.
The motion titled; “Suspected Rape and Murder of 14–Years Old Miss Keren–Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher: Hon. Mark Terseer Gbillah: The House Notes the reported death of Miss Keren–Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher, a 14–year old SS1 boarding student of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, who was allegedly raped and eventually died on 22 June 2021 from medical complications as a result of rape; Also notes that Keren was reported to have taken ill on 16 June 2021, without adequate medical care by Premiere Academy, until the mother took her to a hospital in Wuse Zone 6 Abuja on 19 June 2021 where she eventually died three days later.
