Journalist Petitions Rights Commission over Death of 14-year-old Girl

Udora Orizu in Abuja

A journalist and leader of the coalition of Gender-based Violence Responders, Lemmy Ughegbe, has filed a formal complaint against the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Mr. Fom Pam Joseph, over alleged threat to his life and those of members of his family, at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

He said the coalition has been critical of DCP Joseph’s role in investigating the death of Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher, a 14-year-old boarding house student of Premier Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, who was raped, while a condom was left inside her uterus, which caused sepsis and led to her death on June 22, 2021.

According to him, the DCP has refused to release the medical report of her death to the police-appointed pathologist at the Maitama General Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Desmond Ike Okonkwo, which he requested as a pre-condition to conduct the autopsy in line with the global best practice.

This, the activist said, led to the stalling of the autopsy, which was scheduled for July 3, and consequently, the coalition has issued a statement alleging that the DCP’s refusal was reprehensible as well as raises suspicion as to his motive.

According to Ughegbe, “Why will he want to sit on the medical report and not release it to the police-appointed pathologist? Why is Fom Pam Joseph holding tenaciously to the medical report as though it’s a personal laurel to the detriment of further medical investigation?

‘’In what appears like a fightback, barely 24 hours to a planned rally by our coalition in Abuja to seek justice for Keren-Happuch last Friday, the DCP sent policemen to my wife’s nursery and primary school, which has no link whatsoever with the coalition, to intimidate and threaten her and the staff at the school as well as sending policemen to survey where they live.

“Before leaving, the policemen left a letter signed by the DCP inviting me to the FCT Command for questioning on the claim that he was being investigated for inciting public disturbance with regards to the Keren-Happuch rape saga.”

Reacting to the said letter, Ughegbe said the coalition had lost confidence in the Federal Capital Territory Police Command in its handling of the case as a result of their compromising postures, and called on the Inspector-General of Police (IG) to transfer the case to the Force Gender Office, where there are very competent and professional officers well trained to investigate crimes bordering on Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV).

Ughegbe said should anything happen to him or any member of his family, Nigerians and the global human rights community should hold the FCT Deputy Commissioner of Police responsible, vowing not to be silenced, and to unravel those behind the rape of Keren-Happuch.

Following Ughegbe’s complaint against the DCP, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has assigned two lawyers to him to accompany him to honour the letter of invitation signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, CID, FCT Command, Joseph, with Reference number: 3000/FCT/X/D9/ VoL 62/38, dated July 8, 2021.

The letter read in part: “This office is investigating a case of inciting public disturbance wherein your name featured prominently. In view of the above, you are kindly requested to interview the undersigned through the officer in charge of Gender Section, Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja on July 8, 2021.”