WI Mandingo Association of Milwaukee

   

Girl, 13, Mysteriously 'Hangs' Self, 3 Days After Giving Her Photo for Safekeeping
12/03/07 - FPA Staff Report

Angel Tokpa,13,  (also known as Meideh) of Christ the King Catholic School reportedly hung herself. She was my hand and foot," her aunt says.

Monrovia_That seems a mystery and tragedy occurred when a thirteen year old girl hanged herself in the bathroom of her guardians behind the former Grassroots Cinema on the Old Road, Congo Town. The incident which occurred last Saturday at 8 p.m left the residents of the vicinity shocked and dismayed as to why would a thirteen old brilliant student, Angel Tokpa  (also known as Meideh) of Christ the King Catholic School  hang herself.

Speaking in tears with FPA, the aunt of the deceased Mrs. Madia Williams, wife of Mr. Hans Williams, disclosed that her niece came to live with them August 2007 and was considered like their own because of her brilliance and hardwork. She said Meideh was an 'A' student but "this came as a shock as why would Meideh hang herself without complaining to me about any ill-treatment from anyone in the house or community. As usual, Meideh takes off my husband's shoes when he comes home; which she did that evening. I had even bought a phone for her if she had gone honor roll this period and only both of us knew about it becuse I did not want to make the other children feel bad. I'm shocked!"

'She was everything to me'

With tears in her eyes lamenting the situation, the wife of the former Civil Service Agency (CSA) boss, told FPA that Meideh said that she was going to use the bathroom. However, "few minutes later, Little Hans (their six year old son) went to get the soap dish from the bathroom and ran out shouting, 'Mama, I see Meideh hanging in the barthroom with rope around her neck and she's not saying anything.' Immediately, my husband and I ran in the bathroom to see what had happened. There she was hanging! Meideh was my hand and foot; she was everything to me in this house. She kept my money and keys to my room."

After seeing her niece hanging, they took her down, called the police, put her in the car and rushed her to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center. There the doctor pronounced her dead. Her husband was then taken to the Homicide Division of the Liberia National Police headquarters on Capitol Bye Pass for questioning. Mr. Williams stayed the night for questioning at the police station.

During a visit at the Homicide Division last Sunday morning to question Mr. Williams, police refused for anyone to question him because they said the case is being investigated. However, a family member confirmed to FPA that Mr. Williams has told police to do autopsy on the deceased to determine cause of death.

"Don't give my picture to anybody. Keep it til I'm ready."

According to Mrs. Williams, Meideh used to tell one of the children in the house that she (Meideh) was brave to kill herself. People in the former Grassroots Cinema neighborhood told FPA that Meideh named herself 'Secret Weapon,' hence that is how some people called her. Mrs. Williams furthered that Meideh gave her photo (wearing physical education uniform) she took three days before her death to one of the occupants in the house and said, "Don't give my picture to anybody. Keep it til I'm ready."

When FPA visited Meideh's biological parents (Sue and Na'muinue S. Togba) in New Georgia township, just outside Monrovia,  Mrs. Togba said her daughter was a 'tomboy' who named herself 'deparado.' She said, "Meideh used to climb all the trees in the yard and go fishing with hook at the river bank in New Georgia." 

Mrs. Togba said last Sunday would have been the 14th birthday of Meideh, adding, "If I had heard that Meideh was raped, I would have lived with it. But my daughter wasn't sick and she just died like that makes it hard to accept. Satan doesn't want me to serve God, that's why he's doing all of this. But I will still serve my God!" 

When contacted, the vice principal of Christ the King Catholic School, Mrs. Agatha George told FPA that they are saddened by the death of their student and expressed their sympathy to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile the body of Meideh is still at the J. F. Kennedy Medical Center morgue awaiting police autopsy; which started Monday. 

 

 
       
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