Natasha Akpoti Calls For Justice After Years Of Alleged Cover-Up In Ochanya Ogbanje Case

According to Ireporter Online, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has called on the Nigerian Senate to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje. The senator submitted the petition on behalf of Inibehe Effiong Chambers during Wednesday’s plenary session.

Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that certain individuals have been attempting to shield those responsible from accountability. Ochanya, a student at the Federal Government Girls College in Gboko, reportedly died in 2018 from complications linked to prolonged sexual abuse.

The senator stated that the petition focuses on the failure to arrest and prosecute Victor and Andrew Ogbuja, who were accused of sexually abusing Ochanya from the age of six until her death at 13. Ochanya had been sent to live with her maternal aunt, Felicia Ogbuja, for educational purposes, but was allegedly abused by her aunt’s husband, Andrew Ogbuja, and his son, Victor Ogbuja.

Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that the victim endured severe violations, resulting in medical conditions including vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) and fecal urinary incontinence. She criticized systemic failures that have delayed justice, citing alleged interference, witness intimidation, and efforts to downplay the crime.

The senator urged the Senate to ensure justice for Ochanya’s family and to review the handling of children’s rights cases across the country. “This Senate must send a strong message that the lives of Nigerian children matter and that justice cannot be negotiated,” she said.

Following the submission, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the petition to the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions for review and recommendations.