EDITORIAL: Justice for Ochanya: Three years after, Nigeria must not let her voice die in the grave

It has been over three years since the Benue State High Court in Makurdi acquitted Mr. Andrew Ogbuja, the lecturer accused of repeatedly r@ping 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje, a schoolgirl whose tragic death in 2018 shook the conscience of our nation.

Three years after, Ochanya’s name still stirs pain. Her story still bleeds. Her silence still cries for justice. Yet, the wheels of justice seem to have ground to a halt.

In 2022, Justice Augustine Ityonyiman of the Benue State High Court acquitted Mr. Ogbuja on grounds of reasonable doubt, citing contradictory autopsy reports and the failure of investigators to conduct a medical examination linking the accused to the abuse. It was a judgment built not on the absence of guilt, but on the absence of diligent prosecution.

While a Federal High Court convicted his wife, Felicia Ogbuja, for negligence, admitting that the child was indeed s3xually abus3d, the State Court’s acquittal of her husband stands as a contradiction that offends reason, morality and the very idea of justice.

Today, as activists and citizens renew calls for a revisit of the case, Idoma Voice joins in that demand, not out of emotion, but out of the need to preserve public faith in Nigeria’s justice system.

A Legal Door May Still Be Open

While the statutory window for appeal (typically 90 days in criminal proceedings) appears to have closed, the law provides extraordinary remedies in the interest of justice.
 

The Benue State Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation still have the authority to pursue a motion for extension of time to appeal out of time, citing exceptional circumstances such as the public interest, incomplete investigation, or prosecutorial oversight.

Under Section 14(2) of the Court of Appeal Act, an appellate court retains discretion to grant such an extension, especially where failure to appeal was not deliberate and the matter involves grave violation of human rights, as in Ochanya’s case.

Additionally, if new, credible evidence emerges, medical, forensic, or testimonial, the State can seek a retrial under the doctrine of “fresh evidence sufficient to reopen a case.”

The Ministry of Justice owes it to the people of Benue, and indeed Nigeria, to explore every legal window, however narrow, to ensure that this child does not become another forgotten victim of systemic failure.

Beyond the Law — The Moral Imperative

Ochanya’s case is not just a legal matter. It is a moral test for our collective humanity.
She was a child. She was supposed to be protected, nurtured, and educated, not exploited and buried under the weight of adult cruelty and institutional negligence.

Every time the system looks away, it tells predators that innocence has no defender. Every time the law bends to technicalities, it signals that the poor and voiceless are expendable.

This is why Idoma Voice calls on the Benue State Government, NAPTIP, the National Human Rights Commission, and civil society groups to form a Joint Legal Task Team to review the case file, identify lapses, and pursue whatever legal remedy remains.

Justice Must Outlive the Victim

Ochanya is gone, but her story must not be buried with her.
Justice delayed has already wounded her memory; justice denied would erase it completely.
If Nigeria still claims to value human dignity, then even in the grave, Ochanya deserves justice.

Let her death not be the end of her fight, let it be the beginning of our conscience.