Port Harcourt – A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt sentenced Damian Okoligwe, a 400‑level Petrochemical Engineering student at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend Justina Otuene, a 300‑level Biochemistry student at the same university. The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice Chiwen Nsirim Nwosu.
The prosecution, led by Obadiah‑Mbaba, proved beyond reasonable doubt that Okoligwe, 26, killed Otuene in October 2023 at his residence in Port Harcourt with ritual intentions aimed at getting rich quickly. The court held that Otuene’s death resulted directly from his actions.
The case began after neighbours raised an alarm over an attempt to dispose of Otuene’s body. A foul odour led police to the suspect’s room, where they discovered a “Ghana‑must‑go” bag containing the dismembered body. The trial started in May 2024, two months after the Rivers State Government took over the case from a magistrate’s court that lacked jurisdiction.
During the investigation, Okoligwe denied the murder, telling reporters in 2023 that he was ill when Otuene visited and that he found her lifeless when he woke from an illness‑induced sleep. He claimed he later went to his brother’s house for treatment and returned three days later to dispose of the body, insisting that no organs were removed.
After the verdict, Obadiah‑Mbaba said, “Justice has not only been done, but seen and felt to be done, in respect to the gruesome murder of Justina Otuene. Justina was the only daughter of her parents, but was gruesomely murdered by Damian Okoligwe in circumstances suggestive of ritual intention. Today the court has pronounced him guilty of the murder of Justina Otuene. We only hope and believe that with this judgment, the soul of Justina can now have a peaceful repose. I also believe that this judgment will serve as a deterrent to youths who believe that short cut in life is the only means to get rich as quickly as possible. This judgment will be a pointer and a lesson to the youth to work hard and abide by the laws of the land.”
Osat‑Awaji Otuene, the victim’s elder brother, praised the decision: “I feel good, I feel calm about the whole situation. It was a very detailed judgment, very well structured. I really want to commend the judge, Justice Nsirim. Everything was well coordinated in court today. So, I’m really glad that we had the correct and the right judgment for the case. It’s a relief, and it’s certain that my sister didn’t just die for nothing. So, the judgment has been given and the judgment was deserved. Of course it is a relief to the family.”
The defence lawyer declined to comment. The sentence of death by hanging brings closure to a case that has shocked the university community and the wider public.
