A senator has written to the Nigerian Senate asking it to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje, who died after years of sexual abuse.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, submitted the petition on Wednesday during plenary on behalf of Inibehe Effiong Chambers.
The senator accused some people of trying to “shield those responsible from accountability” for the girl’s death.
Ochanya, a student of the Federal Government Girls College, Gboko, died on October 17, 2018, after suffering complications linked to prolonged sexual abuse.
The petition calls for the arrest and prosecution of the main suspect, Victor Ogbuja, and urges the Benue State Government to challenge the court decision that freed his father, Andrew Ogbuja.
According to the petition, Ochanya had lived with the Ogbuja family from the age of five and allegedly suffered repeated sexual abuse by both father and son, leading to serious health problems and her death.
The petition criticizes the Nigeria Police Force for failing to arrest Victor again after he ran away, and also criticizes the state government’s refusal to appeal the High Court ruling that freed Andrew.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan explained the background of the case while presenting the petition to the Senate.
“This petition is on the refusal to arrest and prosecute Victor and Andrew Ogbuja, for the rape to death of a 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje,” the senator said.
“Ms. Ochanya was sent to live with her maternal aunt, Felicia Ogbuja, at the age of five, in pursuit of better education. But unfortunately, her uncle, who is the husband to her maternal aunt, named Andrew Ogbuja, and his son, Victor Ogbuja, took turns to rape her from the age of six to 13, where she died,” she stated.
According to the senator, the deceased “suffered severe violations for years, yet justice continues to be delayed and denied.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan described the terrible health problems Ochanya developed as a result of the abuse.
“It was reported that she developed VVF, which is the medical term for vesicovaginal fistula, also the fecal urinary incontinence. And this was basically because she was raped from her vagina and anus daily. This case represents a failure of the system to protect a child,” she said.
The senator added that the matter “has lingered due to alleged interference, intimidation of witnesses, and attempts to downplay the crime.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the Senate to ensure justice for the family and called for a complete review of how children’s rights cases are handled in Nigeria.
“This Senate must send a strong message that the lives of Nigerian children matter and that justice cannot be negotiated,” she declared.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, noting that there are no ongoing legal proceedings in the case, referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions led by Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
The committee is expected to investigate the circumstances of Ochanya’s abuse, death, and the apparent failure of the justice system to hold anyone accountable.
The committee may also force the Benue State Government to file the long-demanded appeal against the court decision that freed Andrew Ogbuja.
The case has drawn attention to the problem of child sexual abuse in Nigeria and the failure of the justice system to protect vulnerable children and prosecute those responsible for such crimes.
