Nigerian Girl, 15, Victim of Norway Terror Attack

A 15-year-old Nigerian girl, Modupe Ellen Awoyemi, has been named in a list of 24 victims of the Friday, July 22, 2011 terror attack in Norway.

Awoyemi's name appeared among those confirmed by the Norwegian police at the weekend during the tragic events which happened at Utoya and Oslo.

Although information about Awoyemi were sketchy as at press time, it was found that she was a resident of Drammen, a city in Buskerud County, Norway.

Already, a facebook page titled: Norway Victim - Modupe Ellen Awoyemi - Rip - 22.07.11 has been opened to accommodate condolences for Awoyemi for which scores of such have already poured in less than two days.

Further information obtained about the deceased indicated that she had a sister, Tinuke Margreth Awoyemi, who is an assistant Nurse resident in Debrecen, Norway.

Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that most of the victims of last week's terror attack were aged between 14 and 30.

It was also discovered that of the people identified so far, 23 were killed on Utoya Island, while one was killed in the Oslo bomb blast.

The total number of confirmed dead is now at 41, from a provisional death toll of 76.

The list also includes Tamte Lipartelliani, a Georgian woman who is the second non-Norwegian to be named.

Norway was struck by two sequential attacks targeted at the civilian population, the government, and a political summer camp on Friday last week.

The first was a car bomb explosion in Regjeringskvartalet, the executive government quarter of Oslo, outside the office of Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, and other government buildings.

The explosion killed eight people and wounded several others, with more than 10 people critically injured.

The second attack occurred less than two hours later at a youth camp organised by the youth organization (AUF) of the Norwegian Labour Party (AP) on the island of Utoya in Tyrifjorden, Buskerud where a gunman disguised as a policeman opened fire at the participants, killing 69 attendees, including personal friends of the Prime Minister and the stepbrother of Norway's crown princess Mette Marit.

The Norwegian Police Service arrested Anders Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old Norwegian right-wing extremist, for the mass shootings in Utoya and subsequently charged him with both attacks.

Breivik, who has acknowledged responsibility, is currently in custody awaiting trial for the twin attacks. Prosecutors have said that trial will likely not take place until next year due to the complexity of the case.

During the week, sources were quoted as saying the gunman's first words to special operations teams arriving on Utoya Island were "I am now finished".

The 32-year-old, who gave no resistance to his arrest, was also said to have put his hands in the air, leaving his weapons 15 metres away.

Eyewitness accounts said the gunman was dressed as policeman, with a walkie-talkie at the time of the attack.

Police also confirmed that Breivik is being kept in solitary confinement, and was interviewed again on Friday.

Meanwhile, the attacks have generated lots of reactions, some of which are rather controversial.

Guardian of London reported that one of Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi's former ministers has defended the thinking of the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.

Francesco Speroni, a leading member of the Northern League, the junior partner in Berlusconi's conservative coalition, who was reportedly interviewed on a popular radio show, said, "Breivik's ideas are in defence of western civilisation."

Speroni spoke as other right-wingers around Europe, including leading officials of his own party, distanced themselves from the massacre on Utoya and the ideology that inspired it.

The Italian politician was endorsing the comments of another high-profile member of the league who had drawn fierce criticism for arguing that the killings might have been part of a plot to discredit hardline conservative thinkers.

His lawyers have also been reported to say, Breivik may be insane, a statement that has polarised the society.

Breivik's attack is considered the deadliest of such to have ever been carried out by one man.

Daily Independent

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