As social media outcry prompted fresh calls for the arrest of her alleged abusers, celebrities have contributed their voices to the calls for justice in the unresolved rape case of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje, who passed away in 2018 from problems related to ongoing sexual assault.
Investigations conducted in 2018 revealed that Ochanya, who was from Ogene-Amejo in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State, moved to her aunt’s house in Ugbokolo when she was eight years old in order to receive better education. There, she endured years of abuse that ultimately resulted in her death.
According to public reactions tracked on X, the #JusticeForOchanya trend spread throughout X, Instagram, and TikTok on the seventh anniversary of her death on October 17, 2025, with thousands of posts calling for responsibility.
Singer Tiwa Savage, with over 10 million X followers, expressed her grief on Thursday, writing:
“My heart is heavy. A young girl suffered unthinkable pain at the hands of those meant to protect her and lost her life because of it. We can’t stay silent. We can’t continue to hide behind family titles and tradition. She deserves justice. Every child deserves safety.”
Influencer Tunde Ednut, addressing his 8.7 million Instagram followers, shared:
“She must get justice……. PLEASE REPOST IN YOUR OWN WAY “JUSTICE FOR OCHANYA” ON YOUR STORIES!!! She must get justice. Father and son start to r*pe that small girl from age 8 till she kpai for age 13. Kai!.”
Activist Aisha Yesufu, a co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, had previously condemned the systemic failures in the case, stating in a 2019 X post: “#JusticeForOchanya #AbujaPoliceRaidonWomen #IStandWithBusolaDakolo All these have one thing in common RAPE! On every one of them, the cowards had issues with them and attacked the protesters rather than focusing on the issue, which is RAPE.”
Also, actress Kim Oprah had said. “Seven years after Ochanya’s tragic death, her accused abuser still walks free. No child should ever endure such horror, and no justice system should ever turn away. We owe it to her and every child to demand justice.”
Kogi senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, urged the family of the victim to reach out to her: “7 years ago, the heart-wrenching story of little Ochanya devastated me. I thought the perpetrators were in jail. Alas, they were discharged and acquitted. The family of the late Ochanya Ogbanje should write a petition to me.”
Other users also amplified the outcry. X user @withessn posted on 19 October 2025: “A father and son sexually abused a girl named Ochanya Ogbanje for 5years, which later resulted in her death in 2018. She died due to complications cos she couldn’t control her urine and defecation, and guess what, those evil men are still walking freely.”
Andrew Ogbuja’s daughter’s account (@Winifunds on X) has since been deactivated after significant online criticism.
From 2013, Ochanya endured repeated sexual assaults by Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and his son Victor, leading to vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), a condition confirmed by a 2018 forensic report from the Nigerian Police Forensic Laboratory in Lagos, as cited by PUNCH Online.
She died on 17 October 2018 at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, from VVF-related complications. The Benue State High Court acquitted Andrew Ogbuja in April 2022, citing insufficient evidence, as Justice Augustine Ityonyiman ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the rape and death charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Felicia Ochiga-Ogbuja, Ochanya’s aunt, received a five-month sentence without a fine for negligence from the Federal High Court in Makurdi, convicted for failing to protect Ochanya despite knowing about the abuse. Victor Ogbuja has also reportedly been on the run since the police tried to arrest him.
Ochanya’s family faced ongoing threats after the trial, with her uncle, Mr. Michael Ogbanje, reporting that unidentified individuals threatened their lives to silence their pursuit of justice. He appealed to the Federal Government, the Inspector-General of Police, and advocacy groups for protection and justice.
The renewed social media campaign, fueled by celebrity voices, coincided with a Change.org petition launched on 25 October 2025, demanding a retrial for Andrew Ogbuja and the arrest of Victor, which gathered over 10,000 signatures, per the petition’s public counter.
According to PUNCH Online, the National Human Rights Commission had previously criticized the case’s initial handling in 2018.
