Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has reaffirmed her commitment to pursuing justice for 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje, whose tragic death in 2018 has resurfaced amid renewed public outrage.
In a statement shared via her Instagram page on Thursday, the Kogi Central senator revealed that she recently discovered that the suspects charged in connection with the case had been discharged and acquitted.
“Seven years ago, the story of little Ochanya devastated me. I thought the perpetrators were in jail. Alas, they were discharged and acquitted,” she wrote.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan called on the deceased’s family to submit a formal petition to her office, pledging to reopen the case in the interest of justice.
“The family of late Ochanya Ogbanje should write a petition to me. For our children, I stand for justice,” she added.
Ochanya, a student of Federal Government Girls College, Gboko, died on October 17, 2018, from complications related to Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) after enduring years of alleged sexual abuse.
She was reportedly molested by her aunt’s husband, Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and his son, Victor Ogbuja, since she was eight years old.
The prolonged abuse was said to have caused severe health complications that ultimately led to her death. She was laid to rest on November 2, 2018, in Ogene-Amejo village, Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The case sparked nationwide protests and calls for justice at the time. However, recent reports of the suspects’ acquittal have reignited public anger, with many Nigerians demanding accountability and justice for the late Ochanya.
