Caroline Omotayo, Founder, Hope Restoration Foundation/TheElite Times Guest writer, in this emotion-provoked piece, perused into the decadence of values, morality and the insanity that currently characterizes the third world, asking rhetorically if Ochanya and the several Ochanyas in the world will ever get Justice?
It is no more a news that the incident of late Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbaje a 13-year old girl that was raped to death by her uncle Mr Andrew ogbuja a 51-year old lecturer in the department of catering and hotel management, benue state polytechnic, ugboloko, and son, victor ogbuja is demanding for justice. Considering the fact that the victim went through five years of torments and agony, she could have probably thought of death during the moment of her torments and might have seek the opinions of friends around. Let’s ask ourselves some questions: could it be that she did not tell anybody? Could it be that the people in her environment didn’t notice anything? Could it be that she was intimidated by her abusers and probably acting under duress? The aspect of her abuse that hurts me more is that she is staying with a family who is suppose to care and cherish her, a place she called home, a community where she is supposed to be loved. She didn’t get all this but the opposite and I ask what’s our community turning into?
For good five years Elizabeth went through abuse, I believe she goes to school and at least go to church if not everyday 4 times in a month. Yet the people around her could not see through her eyes and see the pain she was going through. I had an experience sometimes last month, I visited a priest and as I was there a family came to see the priest, the family consists of three children, a young girl whom I later got to know was their maid, mother and father. As they entered the parish house the three children sat on the couch, and the maid sat on the ground, they were offered drinks the maid could not, because her madam was giving her face signal, when they left I told the priest that the young girl in that family needs help before she will eventually do something funny. But what am I driving at, is that the people in ochanyas environment might have seen this kind of signal, or let me say they didn’t notice it. But can it be so possible that she didn’t confide in anyone or no one has asked her about her sexual life. I don’t want to put blame on anyone because no one is at fault but all of us is at fault. Many activist are clamoring for justice for Elizabeth, the social media is filled with ochanyas death. She died of vesicovaginal fistula,VVF and other related diseases. Ochanya was admitted severally in the hospital for treatment, but she later died on October 17, at the ultimate care hospital, otukpo. But the question is can there be justice for Ochanya
Will Justice Ever Come for the Ochanas?
ELIZABETH OCHANYA OGBAJE was laid to rest on Friday 2nd November 2018, but can there be justice for the likes of ochanya whose case has not been heard, there are children who may not be sexually abused but are actually domestically abused we have them around us but it’s like it’s becoming norms, its as if our community is encouraging it, an event happened in my street few days ago, a mother has two kids who are girls age 30moths and 3month, she wanted to buy pap for the baby at the other side of the road and she beg the neighbor who is a guy to help look after the older girl while she quickly get pap for the younger girl, the guy agreed and left. She returned some minutes after and the girl could not walk straight, she was crying that the brother touched her vagina and used his pennis to push her, immediately the mother shouted and before a twinkle of an eye there was crowd clustering around the environment, the funniest part was that the mother was going to the police station and the people in the environment where begin her to have mercy on the guy that the guy is a gentle guy, and that he can’t don that after it has been proved that the guy actually did it.
In this kind of environment where pity sets in for a criminal, how do our child gets security how sure are we that we are not bringing up a wrong idea of community. Elizabeth case is an eye opener for everyone. But it won’t serve as a deterrent if proper step is not taking, am very sure that there would be some person out there who will actually be defending Mr. Andrew that they should tamper justice with mercy, though I don’t blame them, they don’t really know how bad such person can be to our community, Nigeria when did we lost our sanctity, take me back to the days you can leave your wards with your neighbor, where are those virtue of a community life we used to have before? Where is our morality, where is our community peace. Let there be peace and mind you, I have always been saying that peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice.
Justice!! Justice!! Justice!!