Alleged Molestation: Seven Suspects Connected To Deeper Life High School Already Arraigned – Police

By Florence Cornelius On Jan 7, 2021

Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Wednesday said seven suspects connected to alleged child molestation in Deeper Life High School had been charged.

According to ThePunch, the suspects, including one 45-year-old Ndidi Solomon and four others, were arraigned before a magistrates’ court, while two students mentioned were arraigned at a juvenile court.

In a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, the arraignment followed a petition from Mrs Deborah Archibong, mother of the alleged victim, Don Davis, to Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme.

The police statement titled “Suspects connected to the Deeper Life High School crisis charged to court”, reads 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.

Speaking on the speed of the arraignment, Amiengheme noted that it was only expedient for matters of such nature to be quickly investigated and that courts are allowed to decide on the merits.

He called on school authorities to take the welfare and discipline of their students seriously.

However, contrary to the police statement, the seven suspects, who were meant to be arraigned before Uyo Magistrates’ Court could not be arraigned due to the absence of the magistrate.

According to PremiumTimes, police prosecutor refused to address the press as the suspects were put inside a bus and taken back to the police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia.

Fidelis Igwe, lawyer for the Deeper Life School, said he was surprised at the attitude and actions of the police in the case.

He expressed;

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, saying;

It is disgusting. There are proper ways things should be done. They have not told us anything, we don’t know their offence, we don’t know the charges. Nobody has shown us anything. They told us they were doing investigations, what’s the result of the investigations, what have you got? They have not shown us anything.

The lawyer said the persons arrested and detained by the police have the constitutional rights to know what offence they are accused of.

Igwe added;

Even the petition written against the Deeper Life High School has not been shown to them (the school authorities) up till now.

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.

On his part, 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.

In addition, Okokon accused the medical doctor, who was indicted in the matter, of engaging in crude practice, adding that he would petition Nigerian Medical Association.