Why #JusticeForOchanya Is Trending Again, 7 Years After Her Death

Posted on by Gomi Gamaliel
Seven years ago, precisely on October 17, 2018, 13-year-old Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbanje died in Benue State after years of sexual abuse allegedly inflicted by her guardian, Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at Benue State Polytechnic, and his son, Victor Ogbuja. Her death was caused by Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), a medical condition that causes urine and faeces to leak from the vagina and anus which is commonly linked to prolonged childbirth trauma, but in Ochanya’s case, doctors confirmed it resulted from repeated sexual assault. Today, both men, Andrew Ogbuja and his son, Victor Ogbuja, accused of abusing her, walk free, and Nigerians are now reviving the call for justice under the viral hashtag #JusticeForOchanya.

How It All Began

Ochanya was born in 2005 in Ogene-Amejo, Benue State, and was the youngest of eleven children. Her parents sent 5-year-old Ochanya to live with her aunt, her maternal relative, Mrs Felicia Ogbuja, in Gboko to continue her education. Her parents hoped this arrangement would offer their daughter a better future. Instead, by the age of eight, Ochanya’s life took a tragic turn. According to court documents and witness accounts, Ochanya was first abused by Victor Ogbuja, Felicia’s son. His sister, Winifred, caught him and reported the incident to their father, Andrew Ogbuja, who simply scolded him.
Soon after, the father, a respected lecturer and Catholic Knight, allegedly joined his son in abusing Ochanya, and this lasted for years up until her death. By 2018, the prolonged assaults had taken a severe toll. Ochanya began to pass urine and faeces uncontrollably, forcing her to wear adult diapers for months. When her condition worsened, she was moved from hospital to hospital, including the Restorer of PathCare Foundation, where the owner of the health facility, Enuwa Margaret, began to investigate before she confirmed that her condition was caused by repeated sexual violations through both her vagina and anus. Ochanya was transferred to the Federal Medical Centre in Benue, where doctors continued to look after her. But unfortunately, on October 17, 2018, she passed away at the young age of 13.

Justice Denied: How Legal Technicalities Freed the Accused

After her death, two separate cases were filed. One was a civil case by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) against Felicia Ogbuja, her aunt, for negligence. The second was a criminal case against Andrew and Victor Ogbuja for rape and culpable homicide. Felicia was convicted in 2022, found guilty of failing to protect the child and obstructing justice by preventing her daughter, Winifred, from testifying. However, her sentence was just five months in prison after pleading for leniency. Meanwhile, Andrew Ogbuja was acquitted in April 2022 by a Benue State High Court.

The judge, Augustine Ityonyiman, acquitted Andrew of all charges, ruling that prosecutors had not proven them beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge cited two key issues
  • No DNA evidence linking Andrew to the crime.
  • Conflicting autopsy reports — one attributing her death to natural causes, the other linking it to sexual assault.
    While one from the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi stated that Ochanya died of natural causes, another from the Nigerian Police Forensic Laboratory in Lagos linked her death to complications from sexual abuse. Despite a video testimony recorded by Ochanya herself describing the abuse, the court concluded that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient. It was in 2018 and today makes it exactly 7 years since Winifred’s Father and brother gangraped 8 years old Ochanya to death.
    Day by day, turn by turn, Mr. Andrew and his son violated and defiled an innocent girl of 8 years for more than five years. At the time, the outcome sparked widespread outrage,as many Nigerians questioned how Felicia could be jailed for failing to protect a girl from rape, yet the court ruled there was “not enough evidence” to prove the rape itself occurred. Victor, the son, fled before trial and remains at large…until now.

    Why Is Justice For Ochanya Trending Now?

    We’re not sure. Perhaps it was the video of Victor Ogbuja on TikTok living his best life after he had been declared wanted since 2018 or the existence of his sister, Winifred Ogbuja who is a popular influencer on X, we would never know. According to an X user @UnkleAyo, the father is still a lecturer, and the son, who has “been on the run,” now runs a record label. What we do know is that there has been massive online pressure and renewed activism on the case on social media, with the hashtag #JusticeForOchanya, amplifying public anger over how easily the accused persons have walked free.

    The renewed interest also brought attention to Winifred Ogbuja, Andrew’s daughter, who was the first to expose her brother’s abuse years ago. She has since locked her X account. Just yesterday, October 27th, a Benue State High Court said it has reopened the rape case against Andrew Ogbuja and his son Victor for the alleged repeated assaults on Ochanya. The case, initially dismissed in 2022 on a technicality, now proceeds with new evidence and testimonies amid renewed public outcry. Activists and online campaigns highlight systemic failures in Nigeria’s child protection, demanding convictions and reforms to address ongoing child abuse issues. They are now calling for a complete retrial and reforms to ensure such miscarriages of justice never happen again.

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