Benue State Government on Thursday finally arrested Andrew Ogbuja, a senior lecturer at the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, who was alleged to have raped a 13-year-old girl, Ochanya Ogbanje.
Ogbuja and his son Victor who were at large were reportedly alleged to have caused the death of Ochanya who died from complications of prolonged rape on 17th October 2018.
The lecturer was charged to court on four counts bordering on rape and murder which he pleaded not guilty to when the case was read out at the State High Court, Makurdi. Following his plea, the prosecuting lawyer, Ukande, Deputy Director, Public Prosecution, Benue State, urged the court to remand the defendant and fix a date for trial.
The court, however, adjourned the suit to November 14, 2019, for the commencement of trial.
OCHANYA’S ORDEAL –
Ochanya moved into Andrew Ogbuja family at the age seven in 2012 to enable her gain quality education, a dream she could not achieve since the only primary school in her community – Ogene-Amejo village in Okpokwu local government area of Benue state ,was shut down due to non-payment of teachers’ salaries.
Little did Ochanya’s parents know that they were giving their daughter away to the open arms of alleged sexual predators who began molesting her sexually at the tender age of eight.
Ochanya’s ordeal started when Victor , the eldest’s son of the Ogbuja’s family began sexually assaulting her few months after she moved in.
“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,” Ochanya said on August 15, 2018.
Her mother,Rose Ogbanje, reportedly said that her daughter was perpetually in and out of different hospital for five years without any clear diagnosis while the aunt, Felicia Ogbuja who is also the wife of the accused, hid about eight test reports from them.
Until her death, Enuwa Margaret , the founder of Restorer of Pathcare Foundation, Otukpo narrated that she took the 13-year-old to Benue State teaching hospital where seventeen laboratory test were conducted and found out that she was severally raped in her vagina and anus.
Ochanya later died on the 17th October, 2018 from complications leading to rape.
