UNIPORT Student Sentenced To Death By Hanging For Killing, Dismembering Girlfriend
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced a 400-level University of Port Harcourt student, Damian Okoligwe, to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, 300-level Biochemistry student, Justina Otuene.
Okoligwe, a Petrochemical Engineering undergraduate, killed Otuene on October 20, 2023, inside his apartment in Mgbuoba, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. He later dismembered her body and placed the remains in a wheelbarrow in an attempt to dispose of them when he was apprehended.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Chinwe Nsirim-Nwosu ruled that the prosecution had proven all elements of the murder charge beyond reasonable doubt. She described Okoligwe’s conduct as deliberate, calculated and “purely evil,” noting that evidence before the court was consistent and unshaken.
The judge thereafter ordered that he be hanged until he is dead.
Speaking after the verdict, prosecution counsel, Charles Mbaba, welcomed the judgment, saying it brought justice to the late Otuene and her family. He noted that the decision would also serve as a warning to young people who believe in cutting corners to achieve success.
Mbaba said the deceased, an only child, was murdered in circumstances that suggested ritual motives, adding that the judgment had finally given her soul the chance to rest.
While the defence team declined comment, the victim’s elder brother, Osatawaji Otuene, said the ruling brought some relief to the family. He described the judgment as thorough and reassuring, noting that it confirmed that his sister did not die in vain.
