Alleged Rape: Premiere Academy Denies Release of Autopsy Report

…insists sugar level led to student’s death

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The management of the Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, has denied that the school was indicted in the autopsy result on the late Keren Happauch Akpagher, an SSS 1 student that died recently.

The Acting Principal of the Premiere Academy., Mr Christopher Akinsowon, said the autopsy result was yet to be released as a team of pathologists, led by the Nigerian police, and only commenced their enquiry on Wednesday.

Akinsowon noted that the process would likely take some days before the result would be out, even as he expressed concern that some groups have taken it upon themselves to spread fake news on the death of the student.

She expressed grief over the death of the student who was released to her mother, Mrs. Akpagher Vlhimga Vivien, in stable health condition on May 19, 2021, only to be told two days after that her condition deteriorated.

Akinsowon said: “The school only got to know about her hospitalisation in the morning of Monday, June 21, 2021. We mobilised immediately and paid her a visit at the hospital on that day. It was with deep sympathy that we later heard of her demise early the next day, Tuesday, June 22, 2021.”

He however rebuffed earlier reports that the school refused to grant the mother of the deceased custody of her sick daughter, adding that the school was not informed about the alleged molestation and no medical report was sent to the school.

“This notwithstanding, the school has commenced an internal investigation to ascertain if this actually happened and who the perpetrators may be. No stone will be left unturned in our quest to get to the root of this matter, not only to bring the perpetrator to book but also to forestall such incident in the future. As an institution, the safety and security of our students are most paramount to us,” he said.

The school claimed that Keren was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes Mellitus before admission into the school and had been on daily Insulin Injection during her stay in the school.

Akinsowon also denied the possibility of a rape case in the school premises as the school has structures that could be used to checkmate and guide against any such occurrence.

He added that the school has, at least, 54 CCTV cameras installed at strategic locations and were adequate for the landscape of the school to monitor activities of staff and students, stressing that their surveillance cameras capture every activity that goes on in the school.