As the burial of Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbanje, the 13-year-old girl serially raped for five until her death went on in Benue, women’s and human rights groups gathered in Abuja to demand for a “quick remedy and enforcement of justice.”
Ochanya died October 17 from complications of five years of anal and vaginal rape by her uncle Andrew Ogbuja and her nephew Victor Ogbuja.
Andrew Ogbuja, 51, is a senior lecturer at the department of catering and hotel management at Benue State Polytechnic and has been remanded.
His son Victor is a final-year student of Federal University of Agriculture and is said to be on the run.
The five-year-long abuse is said to have started when Ochanya, then aged eight, moved in with her aunt Felicia Ogbuja.
Felicia is a younger sister to Ochanya’s mother, wife to Andrew and mother to Victor.
Ochanya’s death has sparked the #justice4ochanya movement, with different groups calling for both father and son involved in the serial rape to be charged with first-degree murder.
The El-Meola Heritage Support Foiundation has joined the movement pushing to prosecute both the older and younger Ogbuja, insisting full prosecution would “root out bad eggs.”
“Justice for this young girl Ochanya is justice for all,” said Jamila Eneika, founder of El-Meela, at a press briefing in Abuja.
“Her death is a loss to motherhood in Benue state and society at large. Justice for this young girl Ochanya is protection of other Ochanyas in the society.”
At the first court hearing in Makurdi following Andrew’s arrest, the National Council for Women’s society in Benue called for Felicia to be arrested on grounds that she stayed quiet while her husband and son serially raped Ochanya for five years.
Woman to woman
The first report of the abuse came in June when Enuwa Soo, an evangelist who ran an orphanage, reported to police and demanded the arrest of Andrew.
The serial anal and vaginal rape left Ochanya with vesicovaginal fistula, making her continuously dribble urine.
The fistula results damage causes a hole to form between the vagina and bladder.
The wife of Benue state governor, Eunice Ortom, facilitated a fistula repair for Ochanya through her nongovernment organisation.
Ochanya, a student at Federal Government Girls College, Gboko, died despite the repair at Jos University Teaching Hospital.
Rising movement
Ochanya’s story made headlines after the old students of Federal Government Girls College, Gboko learnt of the incident.
On Friday, a delegation of the school alumni left Abuja to take part in her burial in Benue.
The burial was simultaneous with the briefing in Abuja, where women’s groups are demanding full justice.
“That precious daughter of ours goes down six feet today. It pains,” said Grace Okochi, who chairs the National Council for Women’s Societies in Benue, at the Abuja briefing.
“We are not happy at all and we can do nothing about it. Ochanya is dead but her spirit lives on.”
The briefing was told what the NCWS has come to know of the case.
It is not certain who between Andrew and Victor first raped Ochanya. But one daughter of Ogbuja is reported to have sighted Victor anally raping Ochanya and reported to Andrew.
According to NCWs, Andrew had interest and began his own abuse of the girl.
Andrew forcefully raped Ochanya.
His son, on occasions, drugged Ochanya before raping her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
The abuse continued from age eight till she died at 13.
“When Ogbuja was brought to court, Benue women demanded the wife’s arrest,” said Okochi.
“Women own homes. There’s nothing that will happen in the house and a woman will claim not to know.”
A flurry of rapes
Ochanya’s serial rape and death has renewed a movement to end violence against children.
The movement has grown stronger after reports of rapes of minors in the last week alone.
At least four of them have made headlines: the rape of a three-year old girl in Mpape by an ex-soldier who threatened to kill her and her mother, forcing both mother and child to go into hiding; and another rape of a five-year-old girl in Benue by her father.
“I don’t know what’s wrong? Is it an offence to be a woman?” said Okochi.
“Ochanya is to be buried today. Whose daughter next? Women don’t be afraid of exposing bad things in your family. Stand up for your right, don’t be ashamed.”
The National Human Rights Commission also investigated the circumstances of Ochanya’s death and has thrown its support behind full prosecution.
“This matter is in court and there is a limit to which we can speak out,” said Lambert Oparah, director of corporate affairs and external linkages at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“What we can do to ensure those handling it should work very hard to ensure justice is done.”
The commission’s branch in Benue has been put on “watching brief”—going to court to monitor ongoing prosecution.
Andrew Ogbuja’s legal counsel, Anthony Onoja, told the court hearing on October 25 that the barrage of media reports mentioning his client as having raped a 13-year-old for five years till she died may not allow for smooth proceedings.
He has also asked the court to protect the lawyers and caution the International Federation of Women Lawyers, which has taken on legal representation to prosecute Ochanya’s death.
Andrew Ogbuja is due to appear next in court on November 29.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
