Human Rights Commission begins investigation of alleged rape of 14-year-old Premier Academy student, Keren

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced an investigation into the alleged rape of a 14-year-old boarding student, Karen-Happuch Akpagher of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja.

The student later died of infections (Sepsis ) on the June 22, 2021 as a result condom being left in her uterus by the rapist.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Barrister Tony Ojukwu disclosed this while receiving a petition from a civil society organisation Coalition of Gender-Based Violence Responders who have been keeping a tab on the case.

According to Ojukwu “I wish to thank the coalition for not taking laws into its hands; I assure you that the commission will investigate the content of the petition lodged by the coalition. We have seen and read about this case on social media but your petition has come in and you have itemised the concerns. We shall look into it thoroughly.

“You have done the right thing by not taking laws into your hands. We shall investigate your petition with a view to deciding whether or not to accede to the prayers contained therein,” he added.

The group called for a full investigation into the matter with the view to fish out the perpetrators of dastardly acts and bring them to justice.

Meanwhile, there was a mild drama in front of the commission when some operatives of the Department of State Service ( DSS ) attempted to arrest the leader of the group, Lemmy Ughegbe while submitting the petition.

The operatives who rode on two motorbikes and a Hilux vehicle arrived at the commission and approached Ughegbe while granting an interview with Channels TV that someone wanted to see him in the vehicle.

The invitation infuriated the activist and warned the operatives to stay clear and not to infringe on their fundamental rights of freedom of expression as guaranteed by the 1999  constitution.

He wondered why DSS operatives could obstruct the interview with journalists after submitting their petition.

Ughegbe, therefore, stood his ground and asked what his offence was while Kayla Megwa had instructed the cameraman to capture the unfolding event before the officers zoomed off.

According to Ughegbe “We write this petition on behalf of a coalition of Gender-Based Violence Responders and draw your attention to the following facts:

“On the 22nd day of June 2021, 14 year old Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher died.  Keren-Happuch Aondodoo was a boarding student of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja.

“Shortly before her death, she became seriously distressed in school on Wednesday, the 16th day of June 2021 with the inability to walk without the assistance of some of her friends, who helped her to class.

“Following a tip-off to her mum that Keren was in distress, her mum, Miss Vivien Akpagher called the school several times unsuccessfully.

“Despite, Keren-Happuch’s increasing distress on the 16th day of June 2021, she was forced to write a continuous assessment test in tears while crying and begging to be released to go home to her mum.

“On the 19th day of June, being an official call weekend, Keren-Happuch called her mum begging that she comes to pick her as she was ill.

“Her mother, Mrs Vivien Akpagher gets to Premiere Academy, Lugbe on the same day at about 1 pm to pick her, but was refused access as the matron told her Keren-Happuch was well and currently writing her continuous assessment tests. The matron assured her that they were taking good care of her.

“Following assurances by the matron, she left without her daughter. However, while heading back home on the said 19th day of June, her mother received a call from a concerned staff of the school, telling her that her daughter was badly sick and seriously distressed.

“The caller told her mum, Mrs Vivien Akpagher to disregard claims made by the matron that Keren-Happuch was not sick, insisting that she was in dire straits and needed to be taken away from school.

“The caller told her to come to the gate and make a lot of noise to constitute a nuisance otherwise she would not be allowed to take her daughter home. Alarmed at this information, Mrs Vivien Akpagher returned to school around 2.30 pm or thereabout, constituting a nuisance at the gate for the next three (3) hours or thereabout before she was finally allowed to take Keren-Happuch away for medicare.

“Three (3) days after her mum took her away, Keren-Happuch died in a hospital in Abuja on the 22nd day of June 2021. But, before Keren-Happuch’s death, the hospital discovered that she had been raped, condom left in her uterus, which had infected her and caused her sepsis, resulting in her demise.

“Accordingly, the coalition prays for the following: That the National Human Rights Commission launches a full-scale investigation to determine the circumstance, which led to the rape and eventual death of Keren-Happuch and fish out the culprit(s).

“That the panel investigates the complicity or otherwise of the board and management of Premiere Academy Lugbe in the rape of Keren-Happuch Akpagher. That the panel investigates whether or not the board and management of Premiere Academy tried to cover up the facts and shield the perpetrator of this heinous crime,” the commission said.

(Daily Independent)