The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said on Wednesday that
seven suspects connected to the Deeper Life High School child molestation
scandal had been charged.
The suspects, including 45-year-old Ndidi Solomon and four
others, were arraigned before a magistrates’ court, while two students
mentioned were arraigned at a juvenile court.
The command said in a statement by the Public Relations
Officer, Odiko Macdon, said the arraignment followed a petition from one Mrs
Deborah Archibong to the Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme.
The statement titled: ‘Suspects connected to the Deeper Life
High School crisis charged to court’, read in part, “Consequent upon a petition
from one Mrs Deborah Okezie Archibong to the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom
State, Andrew Amiengheme, and upon the commissioner’s directive for a discreet
investigation into the issues contained therein, one Mrs Ndidi Solomon, aged
45, and four other staff (members), including two students, whose actions or
inactions negated extant laws have been today (Wednesday) charged to court.
“While Mrs Ndidi Solomon and four others were charged to the
magistrates’ court, the two students were charged to the Juvenile Court.”
The CP, while noting that it was only expedient for matters
of this nature to be quickly investigated and the courts allowed to decide on
the merits, called on school authorities to take the welfare and discipline of
their students seriously.
However, contrary to the police statement, the four
suspects, who were meant to be arraigned before the Uyo Magistrates’ Court
could not be arraigned due to the absence of the magistrate.
Counsel for the defendants, Fidelis Igwe, said, “The police
brought seven accused persons, five were staff members of the school and two of
them were students and minors.
“They were not arraigned because we were informed that the chief magistrate was not around, but that she would be around tomorrow (Thursday).”
Igwe accused the police of keeping the court in the dark
even to the point of arraignment.
He stated, “The police have not told us what these people
are to be charged for. They just called them out and asked them to come to
court. They have neither briefed their lawyers nor the management of the
school.
“We have been going there (police station) for introduction
and interrogation, but when we got there yesterday (Tuesday), after
interviewing them the police said they
were going to detain them, but they told us nothing thereafter.”
Counsel for the claimant, David Okokon, explained that the
reason why the court did not sit was an administrative issue, saying that the
police and the court did not have the same modalities.
Okokon accused the medical doctor, who was indicted in the
matter, of engaging in crude practice, adding that he would petition the
Nigerian Medical Association.
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