News Editor
… silence and inaction of Tallen and Adamu Adamu embolden pedophiles
About thirty Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have served a – five
day ultimatum on the Minister of Women Affairs and Minister of
Education for them to take concrete action in fishing out the person
who raped 14-year old Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher, who was a
boarding student of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, leaving condom
inside her, which infected her with sepsis and spike her blood sugar,
causing her death.
Following Keren-Happuch’s death on the 22nd of June 2021, her mother,
Vivivien Akpagher had filed a criminal complaint against Premiere
Academy, Lugbe at the FCT Police Command having been told by Queens
Clinic that her daughter had been raped and the condom left in her had
infected her with sepsis leading to her death.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on behalf of the CSOs, Alu
Alege of Media, Health and Rights Initiative said “she was dismayed
by the conspiracy of silence and inaction exhibited by the Minister of
Women Affairs and her education counterpart over four months after the
rape and death of Keren-Happuch..”
According to Azege “The silence and inaction of both ministers, who
have stature duties over safety of children and educational
institution does not only amount to abdication of responsibility, it
also incentivises and emboldens perpetrators of Sexual and Gender
Based Violence.”
She explained that based on the silence and inaction of both
ministers, “We have therefore served both of them notices that should
they not wake up to their responsibilities and take concrete action on
this matter, we shall coordinate a nationwide protest against them and
call for their removal”,
She said the notices of mass protest served on both ministers was
signed on behalf of the coalition of 30 CSOs by Barrister Uzoma Aneto
of Nde Oduko Foundation, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko of Human Rights
Writers Association (HURIWA), Edoamaowo Udeme of Network Against
Domestic Violence Foundation, Alu Azege of Media, Health and Rights
Initiative of Nigeria (MHRI), Hamba Simon Tersoo of All – 4-One
Humanity Foundation and Lemmy Ughegbe of Men Against Rape Foundation.
The notice to the Minister of Women Affairs, which is substantially
same with that of the Minister of Education, in part reads thus:
“Madam, in a – 21st century, where countries are striving to contain
the rising tide of Child Sexual Abuse and indeed Sexual and Gender
Based Violence, we hold the considered view that your silence and
inaction on the instant case serves an incentive for perpetrators of
these acts of violence, who need to see you go beyond the optics and
rhetoric to concrete actions.
“Suffice it to say bringing culprits and perpetrators to book are
essential steps to curtailing the menace, which the Federal Government
has itself since admitted is another pandemic of public and social
health concern. Your silence and inaction in the case of Keren-Happuch
Aondodoo Akpagher is not golden; instead it emboldens such
perpetrators as they continue to evade justice.
“The coalition has been alone in calling out the FCT Police Command,
which was handling the case unprofessionally and in fact, undermining
its investigation by conferring undue advantage to Premiere Academy.
We have mounted the needed pressure and have had the case transferred
to the Force Gender Office, which we expect would handle the case
professionally.
“Furthermore we shall continue to be vigilant and demand
accountability and we expect you to take proactive steps on the matter
too. Nigeria must show that it cares about every child and will demand
accountability for every life lost.
‘’ We therefore enjoin you to make a public statement, demanding a
thorough investigation by the Force Gender Office, apply the relevant
provisions of the Child Rights Act to make Premiere Academy, Lugbe
accountable for the events surrounding Keren-Happuch Akpagher
especially from the 15th and 16th of June 2021 when she was believed
to have been raped as she was reported to have been writhing in pain
and unable to walk to class and needed the help of two classmates.
‘’Furthermore, under the legal principles of in loco parentis and occupier’s liability, Premier Academy, Lugbe, Abuja is expected to
take full responsibility for what happened to the child that was in
its custody. Instead, they have been embarking on media propaganda to
deflect responsibility elsewhere.
‘’We are therefore using this medium to notify your Office of our
intending Protest Walk across the country 5 days from the date of the
acknowledgment of this letter by your office if no concrete and
positive steps are taken in the right direction.
‘We intend to also call you out for abdication of responsibility, ask
the National Assembly to declare a vote of no confidence on you and
consequently call on the President and Commander –In-Chief of the
armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to remove you from
office.’’
END
