By Umar Zubainatu Kambari
The family of the late Ochanya Ogbanje has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IG) to arrest Victor Ogbuja, accused of repeatedly raping their daughter before her death seven years ago.
The appeal was contained in a petition addressed to the IG and titled “Petition on Police Refusal to Arrest and Prosecute Victor Ogbuja Over the Gruesome Rape to Death of 13-Year-Old Ochanya Ogbanje After Seven Years.”
In the petition, signed by the family’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, and made available to the media on Monday, the family urged the police to declare Ogbuja wanted, place him on a watchlist, and launch a manhunt for his arrest.
The family lamented that despite the public outrage that followed Ochanya’s death in 2018, the suspect has yet to be apprehended.
“We write to bring to your knowledge the refusal of the Nigeria Police Force to apprehend and prosecute a fleeing suspected rapist, Victor Ogbuja, seven years after he absconded when it was made public that he repeatedly raped Ochanya,” the petition read in part.
The petition further alleged that the suspect is currently residing in Lagos and called on the I-G to recall the case file from the Benue State Police Command to the Force Headquarters for further investigation.
The family also accused the Ogbuja family of intimidation and threats, saying they have been subjected to harassment and insults for pursuing justice for their late daughter. They therefore appealed for police protection for their relatives.
“It is our considered view that the failure of the police to apprehend Victor Ogbuja has occasioned a grievous act of injustice, not only to the late Ochanya but also poses a danger to innocent girls and women who may fall victim to his predatory behaviour,” the family added.
They further stated that the continued inaction of the police “portrays Nigeria as a lawless country where the rights of vulnerable people are trampled upon by the powerful and well-connected.”
Ochanya was reportedly five years old when she was taken from Ogene-Amejo village by her mother to live with Mrs. Felicia Ogbuja, a relative, in Ugbokolo, Benue State, to access better education.
From the age of seven, the suspect allegedly began raping her repeatedly, which led to a medical condition diagnosed as faecal and urinary incontinence.
When her condition worsened, Ochanya was taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where doctors confirmed her illness resulted from prolonged sexual abuse.
Despite medical efforts, she died on October 17, 2018, at the age of 13.
A medical report from the hospital stated that her condition “progressively worsened” before her death.
While the suspect’s mother, Mrs. Felicia Ogbuja, was convicted and sentenced to five months’ imprisonment for negligence that allowed the abuse to continue, Victor Ogbuja remains at large.
