UNIPORT Student Sentenced to Death for Murder of Girlfriend, Justina Otuene

“A Rivers State High Court has sentenced UNIPORT student Damian Okoligwe to death by hanging for the 2023 murder of his girlfriend, Justina Otuene. The court ruled that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Damian Okoligwe, to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Justina Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student of the same institution.

Naija News reports that the court found Okoligwe guilty of killing Justina in October 2023 at his residence in Ozuoba, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Chiwen Nsirim Nwosu held that the prosecution—led by Charles Obediah-Mbaba—proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and established that Okoligwe was solely responsible for the death of the young woman.

According to the court, Justina’s death resulted directly from Okoligwe’s “deliberate and unlawful actions.”

Okoligwe was arrested in 2023 after neighbours raised alarm when he attempted to dispose of the victim’s body, which he allegedly killed for suspected ritual purposes. Officers from the Ozuoba Police Division, acting on the information, forcefully broke into his apartment and discovered a Ghana-Must-Go bag containing Justina’s dismembered remains.

The Rivers State Government formally took over the matter in early 2024, and the murder trial commenced in May.

During a 2023 interaction with journalists at the Rivers State Police Command headquarters in Port Harcourt, Okoligwe denied the allegations, claiming he had been ill when Justina visited. He alleged that he “woke up to find her lifeless body” and insisted he left for his brother’s house for treatment, returning days later to dispose of her body, which he claimed was “intact.”

Speaking after the judgment, prosecuting counsel Obediah Charles Mbaba commended the court for delivering justice. He 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 her murder.

We hope this judgment brings peace to Justina’s soul and serves as a deterrent to youths who believe shortcuts are the quickest route to wealth.”

Similarly, Osat-Awaji Otuene, the elder brother of the deceased, expressed gratitude for the judgment, describing it as “well-deserved” and a relief for the family.

“I feel good, I feel calm about the whole situation. It was a very detailed and well-structured judgment. I commend Justice Nsirim.

It’s a relief to know that my sister did not die for nothing. This judgment was deserved, and it brings comfort to the family.”