Nigeria: Amnesty Writes Reps Over Rape, Death of Abuja Student

Following non-compliance with its resolution to commence investigative public hearing into the alleged rape and death of 14-year-old boarding student of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, Miss Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akphagher, Amnesty International has written to the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to remind him and his colleagues of their obligation.

Keren-Happuch died on June 22, 2021 after developing sepsis as a result of the infection caused by the condom left inside her by her rapist, which compromised her immunity, spiked her blood sugar, resulting in hyperglycaemia.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the Green Chambers and signed by Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, the organisation lamented that over three months after the lawmakers passed a resolution to conduct an investigative public hearing of Premiere Academy over alleged sexual abuses in the institution and the alleged rape and death of Keren-Happuch, they were yet to comply with it.

“Over three months since these resolutions were passed, there has been no compliance. Through its ratification of regional and international human rights laws, 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,” Amnesty stated.

It added that “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.”

Amnesty submitted that the obligation to eliminate violence against women and girls is of an immediate nature and delays cannot be justified on any grounds, including on economic, cultural or religious grounds.

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