Actress Shaffy Bello has joined the renewed call for justice for the late Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbanje who was allegedly sexually abused by her uncle and his son in Benue State.
Shaffy on Thursday shared a picture of Ochanya on Instagram, expressing anger over the injustice surrounding her death.
“WE WANT JUSTICE!!!! 💔😡
I don’t care if you have only 2 followers….GET ON BOARD!!!!
OCHANYA IS OURS!!!!” she wrote.
Ochanya, a student of Federal Government Girls College, Gboko, died on October 17, 2018, from complications of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) which she reportedly developed after years of sexual abuse by her aunt’s husband, Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and his son, Victor Ogbuja.
She was buried on November 2, 2018, in her village, Ogene-Amejo, Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The case sparked nationwide outrage, prompting legal proceedings against the accused persons.
In 2022, a Benue State High Court acquitted Andrew Ogbuja of rape and culpable homicide charges over what it described as lack of sufficient evidence. His wife Felicia, who was Ochanya’s guardian, was however convicted of negligence for failing to protect the girl and sentenced to five months imprisonment.
Victor has remained at large since 2018. Activists have continued to call for his arrest and prosecution.
Several celebrities have also joined the movement.
