Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has asked the senate to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted a petition on behalf of Inibehe Effiong Chambers during plenary on Wednesday.
She alleged that some individuals were attempting to shield those responsible from accountability.
Ochanya, a student of the Federal Government Girls College, Gboko, died in 2018 after complications linked to prolonged sexual abuse.
“This petition is on the refusal to arrest and prosecute Victor and Andrew Ogbuja for the rape to death of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje,” she said.
“Ms Ochanya was sent to live with her maternal aunt, Felicia Ogbuja, at the age of five, in pursuit of education. But her uncle, Andrew Ogbuja, and his son, Victor Ogbuja, took turns to rape her from the age of six to 13, where she died.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan said the deceased “suffered violations for years, yet justice continues to be delayed and denied”.
“It was reported that she developed VVF, the medical term for vesicovaginal fistula, also the fecal urinary incontinence,” she added.
“And this was because she was raped from her vagina and anus daily. This case represents a failure of the system to protect a child.”
The senator said the matter had lingered due to alleged interference, intimidation of witnesses and attempts to downplay the crime.
She urged the senate to ensure justice for the family and called for a review of how children’s rights cases are handled in the country.
“This Senate must send a strong message that the lives of Nigerian children matter and that justice cannot be negotiated,” she said.
The petition was forwarded by Senate President Godswill Akpabio to the committee on ethics, code of conduct and public petitions for review and recommendations.
