UNIPORT student sentenced to death for girlfriend’s murder

Rivers State court convicts Damian Okoligwe over brutal killing and dismemberment of Justina Otuene

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), to death by hanging for murdering his girlfriend, Justina Otuene.

The victim, a 300-level Biochemistry student at the same university, was killed on October 20, 2023, at Okoligwe’s apartment in Mgbuoba, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. The accused reportedly dismembered her body and placed it in a wheelbarrow before his arrest.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Chinwe Nsirim-Nwosu stated that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt all elements of the murder charge. The judge described the act as “intentional, calculated, coordinated, and evil” and ordered that Okoligwe be executed by hanging.

Outside the courtroom, the prosecution counsel, Charles Mbaba, said the judgment would allow Otuene’s soul to rest and serve as a warning to youths considering shortcuts to success. “Justice has been done and is seen and felt to be done in respect of Justina Otuene,” he said, highlighting the gruesome nature of the crime.

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While the defence counsel declined comment, the deceased’s elder brother, Osatawaji Otuene, expressed relief, praising the thoroughness of the judgment. “It is a relief because at least it is certain that my sister didn’t die for nothing,” he said.

The ruling marks a rare instance of capital punishment in Rivers State and underscores the judiciary’s stance on violent crimes involving students.