Seven Years After: Kunie Foundation Renews Call for Justice in Ochanya Ogbanje’s Sexual Abuse Case

An Enugu-based non-governmental organisation, Kunie Foundation, has renewed its demand for justice for 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje, who died seven years ago from complications resulting from prolonged sexual abuse in Benue State.

In a statement issued on Friday in Enugu, the foundation’s Communications Manager, Uchenna Igboeme, lamented the delay in securing justice for Ochanya, describing her death as a tragic reflection of Nigeria’s systemic failure to protect vulnerable children.

According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ochanya, a Junior Secondary School student at the Federal Government Girls’ College, Gboko, died on October 17, 2018, after enduring years of alleged sexual abuse by her guardian, Victor Ogbuja, and his father, Andrew Ogbuja, both maternal relatives.

Igboeme decried the slow pace of justice, saying the case underscores the urgent need for accountability and systemic reform.

> “Ochanya’s story remains a chilling reminder of the systemic failures that deny vulnerable girls justice in Nigeria. Every day justice is delayed, another girl is silenced, and another family is left heartbroken,” he said.

He urged the Benue State Government, the Ministry of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission, and law enforcement agencies to act decisively and ensure the perpetrators are held accountable.

The foundation also called for stricter enforcement of existing laws, such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, to strengthen child protection systems and safeguard survivors’ rights.

> “Our work at Kunie Foundation centres on advocacy, research, and community-led initiatives that protect vulnerable children and empower women. Ochanya’s story reinforces why our mission matters — every child deserves to live, learn, and dream without fear,” Igboeme added.

He further appealed to citizens, civil society, and the media to sustain the #JusticeForOchanya campaign, stressing that silence and inaction only embolden abusers.

The push for renewed justice follows the April 2022 ruling by the Benue High Court, which discharged and acquitted the accused persons after finding that prosecutors failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. The court cited investigative lapses and inconsistencies in two autopsy reports — one attributing Ochanya’s death to natural causes, and another linking it to sexual abuse complications.

The case has continued to draw national outrage, with public figures such as Tiwa Savage, Aisha Yesufu, Tunde Ednut, Kim Oprah, and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan joining the call for justice and stronger child protection mechanisms.

Seven years after her death, the cry for justice for Ochanya Ogbanje remains a rallying point for activists and advocates determined to end sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria.