By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The family of the late 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje, who died seven years ago from sexual abuse complications, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over the alleged refusal of the Nigeria Police Force to arrest and prosecute one of the suspects, Victor Ogbuja.
Victor is the son of a Benue State Polytechnic lecturer, Andrew Ogbuja, accused of repeatedly raping Ochanya until she developed health complications that led to her death on October 17, 2018.
The family is also demanding the recall of the case file from Benue State Police Command to the Force Headquarters under the supervision of the IGP for further investigation, as well as police protection for the family members due to persistent and enduring threats from the Ogbujas.
The petition, dated November 3, 2025, is entitled, ‘Refusal to Arrest and Prosecute Victor Ogbuja Over the Gruesome Rape to Death of 13-Year-Old Ochanya Ogbanje After Seven Years,’ and signed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, on behalf of the family.
The petition, a copy of which was shared by Effiong on his official X handle on Wednesday, was received at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on the same day.
The petition described the alleged continued inaction of the police as “a grievous act of injustice” and a “dangerous precedent that emboldens sexual predators.”
It stated that the police have refused to arrest Victor seven years after he allegedly fled Ugbokolo in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, where the crime was committed, adding that Ochanya, who was a student of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Gboko, suffered repeated sexual assaults while living with the Ogbuja family.
It recounted that the child was taken at age five from her rural community in Ogene-Amejo to live with Mrs. Felicia Ogbuja, a maternal relative, so that she could attend school.
However, she was allegedly subjected to continuous rape by Andrew and Victor, leading to severe medical complications.
A medical report from the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, confirmed that Ochanya suffered from “faecal and urinary incontinence, which was initially mild and progressively worsened” before her death on October 17, 2018.
The petition also detailed how the Ogbuja family had allegedly bullied and threatened Ochanya’s mother and surviving relatives, accusing them of being responsible for Victor’s disappearance and Mrs Ogbuja’s conviction.
The family demanded, among others: “We urge the Inspector General of Police to declare the fleeing suspect Victor Ogbuja wanted, put him on the watchlist and launch a manhunt to arrest him. He is believed to be living in Lagos.
“We request the Inspector General of Police to recall the case file from Benue State Police Command to the Force Headquarters under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police for further investigation.
“We seek police protection for the family members of the late Ochanya due to persistent and enduring threats from the Ogbujas, who are relatively influential and politically connected.”
The petition urged the police to redeem their image and restore public confidence, as their inaction in the case has given the impression that “the law in Nigeria does not apply equally to the rich and the poor.”
It read in part: “It is our considered view that the seemingly outright refusal of the Nigeria Police to apprehend Victor Ogbuja for prosecution has occasioned a grievous act of injustice not only to the late Ochanya, but also patently poses a danger to innocent girls and women unaware of his predatory habit and antecedents.
“Furthermore, the failure to arrest Victor Ogbuja portrays Nigeria in the eyes of the international community as a lawless country where the rights of vulnerable people are trampled upon at will by powerful people and the elite.”
