Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Reopens Call for Justice in Ochanya Ogbanje’s Rape and Death Case

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has reignited public demand for justice in the tragic case of 13-year-old Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbanje, who died in 2018 after years of sexual abuse.

Ochanya’s death, caused by complications from Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), sparked nationwide outrage and the viral campaign #JusticeForOchanya. She was reportedly raped repeatedly by her aunt’s husband, Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and his son, Victor Ogbuja, beginning when she was just eight years old.

The young girl’s ordeal led to her untimely death and a wave of protests across Benue State and beyond. She was laid to rest on November 2, 2018, at Ogene-Amejo Village in Okpokwu Local Government Area amid tears and calls for accountability.

Fresh outrage erupted recently after reports surfaced that the Ogbujas had been sighted in Lagos, despite widespread belief that they had been convicted and jailed.

Reacting on her verified social media page Thursday morning, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed shock upon learning that the accused had been discharged and acquitted, vowing to pursue renewed legal action on behalf of the victim’s family.

“Seven years ago, the heart-wrenching story of little Ochanya devastated me. I thought the perpetrators were in jail. Alas, they were discharged and acquitted,” the senator wrote.

“The family of the late Ochanya Ogbanje should write a petition to me at the National Assembly. For our children, I stand for justice for Ochanya.”

The senator urged the family to submit a formal petition to her office at Room 2:05, Senate Wing, National Assembly Complex, Abuja, pledging to take up the case to ensure no child suffers such injustice again.

Her renewed intervention has rekindled public conversations about child protection, sexual abuse, and Nigeria’s judicial response to gender-based violence.