Activists Hold Rally For Late Keren In Abuja

Members of Coalition of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Responders on Friday in Abuja staged a protest tagged #Justice4KerenRally in honour of 14-year-old boarding student of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, the late Karen-Happuch Akpagher who was allegedly raped by yet-to-be-identified persons.

The activists, clad in customized black T-Shirts and with Keren’s portrait converged at Unity Fountain.

They displayed banners with various messages and chanted anti-rape songs.

The leader of the Coalition, Lemmy Ughegbe, who was earlier invited by the police, said his life was under threat.

He said some hoodlums had taken over his house, adding that he had vacated his house for fear of being attacked by unknown persons.

Ughegbe also said the movement cannot be suppressed or intimidated in its quest to seek justice for Keren.

He said they had lost confidence in the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, in its handling of the case as a result of their compromising postures and tendencies.

He, therefore, called for a thorough investigation into the case.

The activist accused the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Fom Pam Joseph of being an interested party in the matter, saying he has no moral or legal justification to oversee the case.

He said,

 “The letter they sent to me inviting me to the police, they wrote my name very wrongly and they addressed it to Babylove School in Lugbe. I am not addressing you or the police in the capacity of Babylove. All the statements I have issued on behalf of the coalition were at the instance of Men Against Rape Foundation. 

“The fact that they have gone to my house and as I talk to you hoodlums are all around the environment now. I feel unsafe and if anything happens to me or any member of my family please hold the Deputy Commissioner of Police, FCT, Mr. Fom Pam Joseph responsible but this movement cannot be quenched, we must seek justice for Keren and that is our determination.

“All we are interested in is that the school be thoroughly investigated, not just for crime against Keren but also there are a series of crimes that have occurred.”