Ochanya Ogbanje: Enenche pens moving tribute to 13-year-old girl raped to death in Benue

Today, you shall begin an irreversible journey to the land of your ancestors. A journey every mortal must embark on one day.

The pain that yours came this earlier is much, and the circumstances that surround you making this horrifying journey at this tender age have broken hearts of many men and women.

In you we saw brilliance, that brilliance was demonstrated when your voice echoed from a news channel. There you told us a story, a story that is not so good in the golden book of decency, sensibility and sensitivity.

We thank you for the time spent on earth and we thank you for the awareness your departure has created. Awareness that exposes the numerous dangers facing the girl child.

In your last days, you lived in pains, pains that still lived with us even in your departure.

As you go home today, safe journey my beloved sister, go home and tell your kinsmen how you found yourself in a casket at this tender age.

Tell them how you fought and won a war against child molestation from mortuary.
I condemn in totality, every act that contributed in your untimely demise, both the act of sexual molestation and the act of making economical gains from your misfortunes by a few who surround your casket today.

Not every body following you home today are mourning your departure. Some are truly in pains and feel that life should have treated you differently.

Some persons following you home today are there for personal gains. Your death has enriched their “humanitarian” credentials and economic benefits shall follow.
Some persons around you today are “mourners”, who want to trend on social media, they would take selfies on your grave and post it just for show off.
Even when their intention may be faulty, I still thank them all. I thank them for sacrificing so much to give you a heroic goodbye.

They may have told you I doubted your story, I never doubted your story my little angel, as a man like every man who has rights to ask questions, all I did was to ask questions.

I was taught in class that in journalism, you don’t interview an accuser or accused when as a case is in court. I was also taught that every report must have a balanced view from both sides. These I never saw in the interview.

I began to ask questions. Why would you die shortly after the interview, even though the eloquence, energy and liveliness you demonstrated in the interview never suggested that death was very close?
Why would a journalist risk contempt of court, by granting you interview and not your lawyers on a case in court and never balanced the story by interviewing the accused?

All these put together made me to cry out that there should be fair hearing.
This is the sin I committed, I was accused of not believing your story. I never doubted you, but I still doubt many moves around you towards the build-up to your demise.
Your departure has opened a new door of possibilities for many “Ochanyans” to speak out.

We shall bury you today, but we shall not bury the bitter pains that crushed you to death… neither are we going to bury the negative ideology that inspired your painful departure.

We shall bury you, but we shall not bury the all the truths that surround your death.
We love you, we miss you… continue to Rest In Peace my dearest sister: OCHANYA OGBANJE.

Enenche Enenche
Abuja,Nigeria ??