By Comfort Asemota
The Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced a 400-level University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) student, Damian Okoligwe, to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Justina Otuene.
Okoligwe, a Petrochemical Engineering student, was found guilty of killing Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student, on October 20, 2023, at his apartment in Mgbuosimini, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The court heard that he dismembered her body and attempted to dispose of the remains using a wheelbarrow before he was apprehended.
Delivering the judgment on Friday, November 28, 2025, Justice Chinwe Nsirim-Nwosu ruled that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. The judge described Okoligwe’s actions as intentional, calculated, and coordinated, ordering that he be “hanged by the neck until confirmed dead.”
Outside the courtroom, prosecuting counsel Charles Mbaba expressed satisfaction with the verdict, noting that it offers some consolation to the victim’s family and serves as a deterrent against violent acts among young people.
Osatawaji, the brother of the late Justina Otuene, also welcomed the judgment, saying it brings relief and a sense of justice to their grieving family.
