Seven years have passed since the tragic death of Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbanje, and yet the pain, the questions, and the demand for accountability still linger in Nigeria’s collective memory. The renewed clamor under #JusticeForOchanya reminds us that her story was never meant to fade, it was meant to awaken us.
Elizabeth was only 13 when she died in October 2018. She lived with her aunt, Felicia Ogbuja, and her aunt’s husband, Dr. Andrew Ogbuja, in Makurdi to attend school. Behind that arrangement, she endured years of silent horror, raped repeatedly by her cousin Victor Ogbuja and later by Dr. Ogbuja himself.
Ochanya Internal Damage from Prolonged Abuse
By 2018, her body was failing. She suffered internal organ damage from prolonged abuse, developing outlets between her organs and a vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), a condition that almost always results from severe trauma in a child her age.
From her parents, Rose Abah and Michael Ogbanje, to the community meant to protect her, everyone failed. Winifred Ogbuja reportedly caught her brother abusing Elizabeth and told their guardians.
When the case went to court, more disappointment followed. In April 2022, a Benue State High Court acquitted Andrew Ogbuja of all rape and homicide charges due to alleged inconsistencies in evidence. The court cited failure to match his medical samples and contradictions between autopsy reports. On that same day, a federal court convicted Felicia Ogbuja (Ochiga-Ogbuja) of negligence for failing to protect Elizabeth and sentenced her to five months in prison without the option of a fine.
As for Victor, he never stood trial. He reportedly fled when arrest was imminent, and his whereabouts remain unknown even now.
Reopening of Ochanya’s Case
Today, Nigerians are demanding the reopening of the case.They demand a new investigation, the arrest and trial of Victor, and full accountability for everyone involved legally, morally, and institutionally. The justice system must answer why one guardian walked free while the child’s protector faced only a token punishment.
This is not just a case. It is a mirror held up to our society. It asks us: how many children are still suffering behind closed doors? How many mothers, fathers, teachers, and neighbors ignore the warning signs because the pain seems too big or the consequences too dangerous?
We must name the people involved, openly and boldly, not to sensationalize, but to insist that accountability has faces. We must speak the names Andrew Ogbuja, Felicia Ogbuja (Ochiga-Ogbuja), and Victor Ogbuja in the same breath as the child whose life they shattered.
Guardianship is not a License to Abuse
There are lessons here we should carry forward. Guardianship is not a license to abuse; it is a responsibility Every adult must act, believe, report, and protect when abuse is suspected. Institutions must strengthen their response, conduct rigorous investigations, preserve evidence, and support victims.The legal system must not value procedure over protection.
Elizabeth’s memory must not remain a hashtag. It must become a living call to reform. As long as Nigerians continue naming those accused, demanding trials, and raising voices, her story will not disappear. It will become a turning point and a measure of how far we are willing to go to protect our children.
Conclusion
Seven years is too long a wait. But justice delayed is not justice denied if we persist. Let us demand with clarity: reopen the case, arrest Victor, hold Andrew and Felicia to full account. Let their names echo in courts, in records, in accountability.
Because her life, though tragically short, still asks of us something that we refuse to forget and that we refuse to let silence win.
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