A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student at the University of Port Harcourt, to death by hanging for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Justina Otuene.
The court heard that Okoligwe killed Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student, on October 20, 2023, at his apartment in Mgbupba, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.
He allegedly dismembered her body and attempted to dispose of the remains using a wheelbarrow before his arrest.
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Delivering judgment, Justice Chinwe Nsirim-Nwosu ruled that the prosecution had proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
She described Okoligwe’s actions as “intentional, calculated, coordinated, and evil” and ordered that he be “hanged on the neck until confirmed dead.”
Outside the courtroom, prosecuting counsel Charles Mbaba welcomed the verdict, saying it would bring solace to the victim’s family and serve as a warning to youths against resorting to destructive shortcuts in life.
Osatawaji Otuene, the brother of the late Justina, also expressed relief over the judgment, describing it as a measure of justice and comfort for their family after the tragic loss.
