13-year-old girl dies after being allegedly raped by father, son

On October 18, 2018, 13-year-old Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbaje succumbed to her gruesome five-year sexual abuse and died of Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) and other health complications at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

According to multiple reports, she had been allegedly molested, defiled, drugged and abused for 5 years by her 52-year old uncle, Andrew Ogbuja, a Lecturer in the Department of Catering and Hotel Management of the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and his son, Victor Ogbuja.

On August 15, 2018, Vanguard published an article about the court case. In its report, the late Ogbaje said “It all started in 2013 when I came to live with my mother’s sister in Ugbokolo because there was no school in my village.

“When I was eight years old, the son started sleeping with me and when his sister caught him, she reported him to their father and the father scolded him. From there, the father also started sleeping with me.”

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The constant rape, drugs and molestation destroyed her physical and mental health at 12

In June 2018, Ochanya got very sick. Caregiver and Founder of Restorer of PathCare Foundation, Evangelist Enewa Soo, took over her health issues after the case was reported to her. She took Ochanya to the Benue State Teaching Hospital where it was discovered stated that her health had been damaged from vaginal, anal rape, and molestation.

Vanguard quotes Soo saying, “At the time they brought the girl, she was very sick and when we began to make our findings, we discovered that she was actually raped and the doctors confirmed that she was allegedly sexually abused through the vagina and the anus by one Victor Ogbuja, her guardian’s son.

“Since then we have been trying to see how we can restore her health. We took her to a teaching hospital where series of tests were carried out and she has also been booked for Vesicovaginal Fistula, VVF, operation in Jos, Plateau State, from September 16 to 17.”

Soo also bemoaned the 13-year old’s emotional and mental depression from the constant abuse.

Soon after, on October 18, 2018, Ochanya passed away from VVF and other health complications — she succumbed to her suffering.

Her school’s alumni, like the rest of Nigeria, are rightly hungry for justice, leading to #JusticeForOchanya across social media pages.