A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced a 400-level student of the University of Port Harcourt, Damian Okoligwe, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murdering his girlfriend.
The crime, according to court records, took place on October 20, 2023, inside Okoligwe’s apartment in Mgbuosimini, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. Prosecutors revealed that the victim, 300-level Biochemistry student Justina Otuene, was killed, dismembered, and her remains placed in a wheelbarrow as Okoligwe attempted to dispose of them before being apprehended.
Delivering judgment, Justice Chinwe Nsirirm-Nwosu ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. She described the act as “intentional, calculated, and chillingly coordinated,” stressing that witness testimonies and exhibits presented in court left “no room for contradiction.” The judge then ordered that Okoligwe “be hanged by the neck until confirmed dead.”
Outside the courtroom, prosecution counsel Charles Mbaba welcomed the verdict, calling it justice for Justina and her grieving family. He noted that the ruling would serve as a deterrent to others, particularly youths lured by shortcuts to wealth.
“Justice has not only been done, but has been seen to have been done in respect of the gruesome murder of Justina Otuene,” Mbaba said. “She was the only daughter of her parents, brutally murdered in circumstances suggestive of ritual intentions. We hope her soul can now rest in peace.”
Members of Justina’s family expressed mixed emotions following the ruling. Her brother, Osatawaji Otuene, said the judgment brought a measure of closure after months of anguish.
“It was a very detailed judgment, and I commend the judge. Everything was well coordinated in court today. It’s a relief that my sister didn’t just die for nothing. The judgment was deserved,” he said.
The case, which drew widespread outrage within and beyond the university community, stands as one of Rivers State’s most high-profile murder trials in recent years.