A Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, on Tuesday, remanded, Mrs Felicia Ochiga-Ogbuja at the Federal Prisons in Makurdi, for negligence over the alleged rape and death of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje by the defendant’s husband and son, Mr Andrew Ogbuja and Victor Ogbuja.
Our correspondent reports that the accused, Andrew Ogbuja, a senior lecturer at the Department of Catering and Hotel Management in Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo and his son, Victor Ogbuja, a final year student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, were alleged to have serially raped the deceased victim for over five years, resulting in the illnesses which later led to her death in October, last year.
The accused lecturer had remained in prison custody since the matter was brought to the legal fore while his son, Victor is still at large.
However, the accused’s wife and mother of Victor, Mrs Ogbuja, 43, was on Tuesday arraigned by the Federal Government through its agency, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on a two-count charge.
In the suit marked: FHC/MKD/CR/12/209, Ogbuja’s wife, also a staff at the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, is standing trial on a one count charge of failing to take action against the sexual exploitation of the late Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbanje by her husband, Andrew as well as her son, Victor, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 13 (4) (b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
Also, the woman is being held for keeping, detaining or harbouring the deceased, knowing that she was likely to be sexually exploited by her husband and her son, an offence contrary to Section 15 (b) of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.”
But, Mrs Ogbuja pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to her.
Consequently, the prosecuting counsel, Swanta Bossan, urged the court to remand her in prison pending the commencement of her trial.
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