Child rights groups and civil society activists on Thursday converged on the Lagos State House of Assembly to demand renewed investigations and accountability in the long-running case of 13 year old Ochanya Ogbanje, who died in 2018 from complications linked to prolonged sexual abuse. Demonstrators  joined by campaigners pushing the #JusticeForOchanya hashtag  urged police and state authorities to reopen probes and to arrest suspects they say remain at large. 

The resurgence of public anger has been fuelled by celebrity endorsements and fresh reporting that recalls the case’s unresolved legal thread: while a wife connected to the matter was convicted of negligence, other key figures were later acquitted or not tried, and a principal suspect has been publicly wanted for years. Protesters and family members say that gap in accountability explains the renewed calls for arrests and for a retrial where necessary.