Raped to death: Lawyer Inibehe Effiong blasts Winifred Ogbuja for downplaying her Knowledge of Ochanya’s sexual exploitation
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has accused Winifred Ogbuja, sister of fugitive Victor Ogbuja, of downplaying her knowledge of the prolonged sexual exploitation of 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje in the hand of her brother, which led to the teenager’s prolonged illness and death in 2018.
Victor Ogbuja, who has been in hiding since 2018, was accused of serially raping Ochanya beginning from 2013 while she lived with the family in Makurdi. The abuse allegedly resulted in severe medical complications, including vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), that eventually claimed her life.
Winifred Ogbuja had, in a recent post on her X handle, claimed she was unaware of Ochanya’s condition and did not witness any abuse.
Effiong described the claim as contradicted by witness testimony given under oath, which stated that Winifred reported the sexual exploitation of Ochanya to her mother. Felicia Ogbuja,
Winifred’s mother, was convicted of negligence and sentenced to five months imprisonment without an option of fine. Her appeal against the conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
In a strongly worded response addressed to Winifred, Effiong described her statement as “offensive” and said it had particularly angered Ochanya’s family.
He took issue with two paragraphs in which Winifred claimed she was only about 12 years old and in boarding school in 2013, was not present during the alleged events, did not witness any abuse, and that this position was reflected in the legal proceedings.
Effiong countered that even if her age claim was accepted, Winifred was approximately 17 years old in 2018 when her parents were arrested — an age at which she was mature enough to provide information to investigators and authorities.
He further noted that her younger brother, Victor Ogbuja, was about 20 years old in 2018 and in his final year at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Victor was later expelled from the university following a report by NAPTIP.
Effiong also pointed out that the Court of Appeal made specific findings regarding Winifred’s knowledge of the abuse and criticised the family’s attempt to settle the matter privately.
The lawyer highlighted key elements from the court records:
*A witness testified under oath at the Federal High Court in Makurdi that Winifred knew about the sexual exploitation of Ochanya.
*The Court of Appeal in Makurdi, in dismissing Felicia Ogbuja’s appeal against her conviction for negligence, made direct findings on the matter. At page 19 of the judgment, the court stated that Felicia’s conduct was “highly condemnable” for allowing the abuse to occur “even when her own daughter brought to her attention the sexual exploitation of Ochanya” and did nothing to protect the girl.
*The appellate court also observed that Felicia, her husband Andrew Ogbuja, and some family members attempted to compromise the case by begging Ochanya’s father with drinks and kolanuts to settle the matter within the family.
Effiong emphasised that the exploitation of Ochanya spanned several years beyond 2013 and that concurrent findings by the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal established Winifred’s direct knowledge of the abuse.
He referenced Section 209 of the Evidence Act, 2011, noting that by the time her parents’ trial began in 2019, Winifred was no longer a minor and could have given sworn evidence.
The case of Ochanya Ogbanje gained national attention after the teenager died in October 2018 from complications, including vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), allegedly resulting from years of repeated rape while living with the Ogbuja family in Makurdi.
Andrew Ogbuja was discharged and acquitted by a Benue State High Court, while Felicia Ogbuja was convicted of negligence and her appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in 2022.
Victor Ogbuja, accused as one of the principal perpetrators, has reportedly not been tried after fleeing.
Effiong urged Winifred to “stop dancing on the grave of Ochanya,” stressing that the late girl’s family remains deeply offended by what they see as attempts to trivialise the tragedy.
