By Anamati Inyang- November 4, 2024
A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the alleged refusal of the Nigeria Police Force to arrest one Victor Ogbuja, accused of raping 13-year-old Miss Ochanya Ogbanje to death.
In the petition, which was formally submitted to the IGP on November 4, 2025, Effiong stated that his law firm had been engaged by the family of the late Miss Ochanya from Ogene-Amejo in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, following years of delay and neglect by the authorities to bring the suspect to justice.
According to the petition, the suspect, Victor Ogbuja, allegedly subjected the deceased to prolonged sexual abuse that eventually caused severe health complications, leading to her untimely death.
The case, which sparked national outrage in 2018, saw Victor’s father, Mr. Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at the Benue State Polytechnic, arraigned before the Benue State High Court but later acquitted on April 28, 2022, reportedly due to prosecutorial lapses. Meanwhile, his mother, Mrs. Felicia Ogbuja, was convicted and sentenced to five months imprisonment by the Federal High Court, Makurdi, for negligence and failure to protect the child, contrary to the provisions of the NAPTIP Act.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, Effiong noted that the police have failed to arrest Victor Ogbuja nearly seven years after the incident, as the suspect allegedly fled Benue State shortly after the death of Ochanya.
The lawyer urged the IGP to recall the case file from the Benue State Police Command to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, and personally supervise Victor’s arrest and prosecution to ensure justice for the deceased.
He further called for adequate police protection for members of the Ochanya family, citing repeated threats to their lives following renewed efforts to seek justice.
Effiong reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing the matter to its logical conclusion, emphasizing that the continued delay in arresting the suspect represents a failure of justice and a breach of the victim’s fundamental rights.
