Premiere Academy: Court Adjourns N10bn Suit Against School

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has adjourned further hearing on the controversial death of a 14-year-old student, Keren-Happuch Aondodoo.

A clerk of the court said a new date for the hearing would be communicated as the judge was unavoidably absent as she was attending a conference for judicial officers.

Aondodoo contracted sepsis after she was allegedly raped in her boarding school and died on June 22, 2021, from medical complications caused by a condom that was left inside her private part after the alleged rape.

In a N10 billion suit, the mother of the deceased, Vivien Akpagher accused the school, Premiere Academy, Lugbe, of negligence and failure of a duty of care to her daughter.

The plaintiff, through her team of lawyers led by Uzoma Anaeto and Chioma Onyenucheya -Uko, told the court that despite her demand that the police should retrieve CCTV footage of June 15 and 16, 2021, from the school, which she said would disclose how her daughter has sexually abused as well as the identity of her abuser, the defendants declined to accede to the request.

She is among other things, seeking a declaration that the negligence of the defendants caused her daughter’s death.

As well as, “a declaration that the acts of the defendants, who owed the duty of care to plaintiff’s daughter, were negligent and this led to her death as a result of rape, sexual abuse and molestation which happened under their care.”

She is praying the court to aside from awarding her the sum of N10bn as damages, equally compel the defendants to pay another N10 Million for the emotional, mental, psychological and physical stress she was subjected to, following the death of her daughter.

The court had earlier dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the school for the matter to be struck out.

Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu declined to strike out the suit on a technical ground that the name of the school was not properly spelt.

Rather, she gave the plaintiff’s counsel permission to correct the error and gave the go-ahead for hearing the matter.

Speaking with newsmen after the case was adjourned, the plaintiff said she decided to approach the court owing to the failure of the school to show any remorse for her daughter’s death.

Containing her tears, she said, “With the way they are going, if they are not ready to take responsibility, we shall see this case to the end so that it does not happen to another child”.

Her lawyer further disclosed that they have applied, praying the court for an order, “restraining the defendants, by themselves, their agents and privies from threatening the plaintiff and her allies in respect of this suit, during and after the trial.”