NEWS
Death after rape of teenage Premier Academy student, AI, anti-rape foundation seek justice
Amnesty International Nigeria and Men Against Rape Foundation are seeking for justice for14-year Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akphagher a student of Premier Academy, Abuja, who died from sepsis after one year.
In a joint statement by Amnesty International Nigeria, Men Against Rape Foundation, and the Akphagher family issued in Abuja on Monday many questions were raised as to why the perpetrator and all those suspected of complicity in the cover-up of the heinous crime remain neither prosecuted nor punished.
“A year on, so many questions are left unanswered: Why has Premiere Academy failed to provide the CCTV footage of 15 and 16 June 2021, which could aid in unraveling the reason why Keren could not walk to class on 16 June 2021?
“How come Premiere Academy retrieved and exhibited the CCTV footage of 19 June 2021 but claimed that the footage of 15 and 16 June 2021 have been deleted by the default setting of their system, despite the allegation of rape having been raised with the school on the 22 June 2021?
“Why has the Nigeria police refused to give official copies of the medical and autopsy reports to the family of Keren?”
According to the Statement, Despite Premier Academy’s claim that they will cooperate with all institutions of government to investigate Keren’s death, they also asked to know why the school refused to cooperate with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which is investigating the school over alleged failure of service delivery to Keren.
“Why did Premiere Academy file an application at the Federal High Court Abuja, seeking to stop the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) from investigating the circumstances, which led to the death of Keren?
“Why have the Ministries of Women Affairs and Education not lived up to their responsibilities by intervening in the case to ensure that justice is served? What is the life of a Nigerian girl worth?”
The statement also recalled that on 7 December 2021, the House of Representatives passed a resolution urging the Nigeria Police to thoroughly investigate Keren’s death and the allegations of harassment and threat to life of Keren’s family and Lemmy Ughegbe, the human rights defender seeking justice for Keren.
“Over 6 months since these resolutions were passed, there has been no compliance.
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“As a state party to several regional and international human rights treaties, Nigeria has an obligation to ensure that women and girls can live free from violence.
“Having ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Nigeria is obliged to act with due diligence to prevent, investigate, punish and provide remedies for acts of violence against women and girls regardless of whether these acts are committed by private or state actors.
“As a state party to the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, Nigeria undertakes to adopt and implement appropriate measures to ensure that women and girls are protected from all forms of violence, including sexual violence.
“Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees that “no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment.”
The family of Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akphagher, Men Against Rape Foundation, and Amnesty International in the statement called on the Nigerian authorities to ensure that: An immediate, impartial, effective and independent investigation is initiated on the circumstances leading to Keren’s death and that all those found culpable are prosecuted in a fair trial and punished with no recourse to the death penalty.
The statement also sought Adequate protection for Keren’s mother, Vivien Akpagher, her family and Lemmy Ughegbe and all other human rights defenders involved in this case.
“Effective remedies including reparations and guarantees of non-repetition are provided to all affected persons.”
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
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They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
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The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
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The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
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