The lecturer, who had earlier been charged for allegedly raping his 13-year-old housemaid, Miss Elizabeth Ogbanje, was on Thursday arraigned on fresh charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.
Ogbanje was also Victor’s wife’s cousin.
When the case came up, the First Information Report read to the accused stated in part, “That on October 22, 2018, a case was reported by one Evangelist Enuwa Soo of Potter Avenue, Otada, Otukpo Local Governmrnt Area, through a letter of petition to the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Police Command.
“That on June 23, 2018, the family of one Miss Elizabeth Ogbanje of Agene Amen, Okpokwu LGA, aged 13, noticed that one Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at the Benue State Polytechnic, and his son, one Victor Ogbuja, had been criminally having unlawful carnal knowledge of her since she was living with them in their house which resulted in her being diagnosed with Vesicovaginal Fistula and other related diseases.
“Ogbanje was admitted to a hospital for treatment where she later died on October 17, 2018, at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi.”
The court further heard that during police investigation, Andrew was arrested for the offence while his son, Victor Ogbuja, escaped.
The FIR further stated that the offence was punishable under sections 97 and 222 of the Penal Code of Benue State, 2004.
The counsel for the accused, Anthony Onoja, observed that the media had been carrying the reports of his client who had not been proven guilty.
“If care is not taken, the reports will not allow the matter to go on smoothly. I appeal to you for protection (for lawyers) from journalists and caution the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA),” the lawyer added.
However, counsel for FIDA, Prica Ula, said FIDA had the right to watch brief for the police, adding that no law prohibited the organisation from doing so.
The presiding magistrate, Issac Ajim, overruled Onoja, saying the activities of FIDA and journalists had not caused any harm.
Since no plea was taken for lack of jurisdiction, the magistrate ordered that the accused be remanded at the Federal Medium Prison, Makurdi.
He adjourned the case till November 29.
Meanwhile, pupils of the Federal Government Girls College, Gboko, on Thursday protested against the death of Ogbanje.
The pupils, who stood outside the school premises, displayed placards to show their displeasure.
Ogbanje was a pupil at the school before her death.
Also, the acting Governor of Benue State, Benson Abounu, on Thursday urged the police and the judiciary to ensure that Ogbanje got justice.
from punch
May her soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteThis shouldn’t even be treated as a case of rape but it’s now a murder case, if the rape issue will not give them a long sentence then the murder case would, we are just too slow in this country
DeleteUseless men everywhere, you have a wife but No you will rather rape a minor, jinxed old fool.
DeleteBecause the wife under issa worn out asin slack
DeleteEfulefu, women should always watch their men around their maids, be watchful like a hawk, these smooth operators can harass ur help/nanny under ur roof and u won't ever find out especially if u are a working woman.
ReplyDeleteAbi! Me I hate careless women wahlahi
DeleteSo its the fault of the woman? Na wa
Deletehe look so responsible one would not have imagined
ReplyDeleteThey should castrate this man and his son already
ReplyDeleteThey have used their big something to destroy the small girls private and kill her.. Rest in peace little one
ReplyDeleteMay himself and his son die a miserable and painful death Amen. I feel so terrible
ReplyDeleteMay God strike this man's prick and that of his son into 6 different parts.
ReplyDeleteMay the gentle soul of this beautiful angel rest in peace...Amen.
Did I just see acting governor of Benue? What happened to Ortom?
Sick people everywhere. This is so close to home.
DeleteActing governor because the main governor Ortom was not in Benue and left this deputy in charge while he was away.
DeleteUseless man
ReplyDeleteAND THE GIRL DIED
ReplyDelete"It’s a baby girl. She’s calm and beautiful," the midwife said at the safe delivery of the baby girl in an interior village probably 120 kilometers south of River Benue. "Her name should be Eliza," the midwife suggested.
The other midwives laughed as Mrs. Ogbanje smiled amidst pains of child birth
It is not unusual in Idoma land that girls born with the gift of natural beauty are christened Eliza (Short for Elizabeth) after her Majesty the Queen of England. As they grow, the name naturally transforms to Queen which has its translation as Ochanya in Idoma dialect.
At four, Eliza not only showed the endowment of her physical beauty but displayed an aura of bravery and maturity. Every morning she knelt beside her mother to say The Lord’s Prayer and the Catholic Rosary. On many occasions, she assisted her poor mum in the house core. Without coercion, Eliza learnt submission.
One day as she sat in the sand singing village rhymes and reciting Bible lessons taught in the local church, her mum watched her gravely and saw a great woman in her child. “This is our own Onyantu Ifene o," she thought to herself.
The following year, her sister visited from Ugbokolo town to attend the burial ceremony of a relative and she spoke with her.
"My sister, you know that Eliza is my only daughter. I want her to go to school. She is too intelligent to waste in this village. Who knows, if she graduates from school, God can use her to bring school and electricity to this village like Onyantu Ifene did for her village. If it's ok by you, let her come to stay with you in Ugbokolo. Put her in any school you can afford. I will come to see her on every Eke market day when I come to Ajide to sell wares. Whatever amount I can afford, I will bring to support you. God will reward you my sister."
And so with a good heart, Mrs. Ogbuja resolved to take Eliza in.
Quickly, Mrs. Ogbanje called her daughter into their little hut and prayed for her. She took a Roman Catholic chaplet and hung it on get neck. "I will always come to see you on every market day," she assured her daughter.
Excited that she would be starting school in the town, Eliza got her baggage of few cloths and hooped to sit on the laps of her aunt as they boarded a public car to Ugbokolo, a suburb many kilometres away from the village.
The cheerful five years old Eliza was well received into her new home. A few days later, she resumed school. In the classroom she was full of life and always excelling. As each year went by and with promotions and awards to back her academic prowess, she saw her dreams coming true. She hoped to go to the university someday and graduate. She hoped to get a good job and bring school to her village.
One day, at the age of eight, Eliza came to school with a gloomy look. The cheerful face had transmogrified in a handful of hours.
"Ochanya (as her teacher fundly called her), is anything the matter? Did your aunt beat you?"
Eliza simply nodded a "No" but the teacher knew that something was not just right. The afternoon before, after close of school, the eight years old Eliza had been sexually abused by a male cousin who was several years older than her. But she would not tell anybody because her life and dream had been threatened. She bottled her feelings hoping that the ugly incidence would never rear its head again. Every morning and night, she would kneel before her bed with Holy Child Jesus chaplet in her hand asking God to forgive her, and to forgive her evil cousin "for he knows not what he has done." But she was wrong; the evil Victor of a cousin came again and again to have his way with her. She felt helpless; praying that someone would catches him in the very act someday. And as if God heard her prayer, Abigail, Victor's little sister came home one afternoon and met the unwholesome act.
Women shine your eyes. His blokos should just be cut off and fed to his wicked wife to eat. May her soul rest on in peace.
ReplyDeleteShe raised alarm and told her dad. And Eliza thought her freedom had finally come. But again she lied. Mr. Ogbuja started from where he met his son forming a dual force against the helpless girl. Life became miserable for Eliza. Several occasions when her mum visited, she had tried to voice it but the fear of losing her life and her cherished dream held her back.
ReplyDeleteAnd so the evil persevered until Eliza's health began to fail at the age of twelve. She was taken to the local hospital in Ugbokolo but nothing was diagnosed. The nurse gave her some malaria drugs and some sedatives. She was relieved briefly but the illness resurfaced. After several visits to several hospitals, she was eventually diagnosed to have Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), a disease resulted from the several sexual abuses.
As she laid on her sickbed and watching her esteemed dream dying slowly with her, she took her chaplet and prayed that God would forgive Victor and uncle Ogbuja "for they know not what they had done to me and my dream." She also prayed that God would raise another “Onyantu Ifene” that would bring school and electricity to her village.
As evening drew nigh, as the sun stooped to set, as birds returned to roost, Queen Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbanje placed her chaplet on her chest, closed her eyes and in pains bade the world goodbye.
And the girl died.
#justiceforochanya #copied
This just brought tears to my eyes... so sad
DeleteWhat did they see in the body of an 8 year old, is that stupid cousin trying to say he dint have a girlfriend in the university he was having sex with, did the father say his wife dint satisfy him enough, why this small child? I want to ask God why but I know we are all his children and he has taken ochanya home to a better place, to a place of no sorrow, I will rather have her in heaven in that dark room where her innocence was taken away. God help her mother bear this loss
God where are you? Your ways are not our ways. This child trusted You, She called on our Mother Mary, will her death go unpunished! Vengeance belongs to you Abba Father, Do what no man can do. You are the God of Justice.
DeleteThis write up just broke me! 8year old????? Oh Lord! The heart of man is wicked, very black. The wicked shall never go unpunished. Read she was abused through the anus too.
So touching. And she died in pains. What a wicked world, having sex with a minor, I don't even know what to say again.
Deletehe should rot in jail. Like father like son. Can you imagine? From 8 to 13 Years< this girl suffered not only in the hands of the father but the son also. How can such a man train a responsible sons too. or be a good lecturer? I am very sure that the female students in his department have suffered in his hands too.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the wife knew but kept quiet to save face. STUPID WIFE
ReplyDeleteNo o, you know every marriage has it challenges so it is better to stay put in the marriage and continue to answer Mrs.The girl probably seduced her husband and son, useless foolish woman.
DeleteRIP Dear, you are now in a better place. I feel the punishment for rapist should be Phallectomy and castration .
ReplyDeleteMay God give the mother the courage to bear the loss.Ochanya's murderers should
ReplyDeletebe brought to justice.
The wife should also be arrested and charged to court. This is so heart breaking, I can't begin to imagine what that girl went through, father and son, they even drugged and sodomized the poor child. Sick people!
ReplyDelete