Rivers Court Sentences University Student to Death for Killing Girlfriend


A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced a University of Port Harcourt student, Damian Okoligwe, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Justina Otuene, in 2023.


The judgment, delivered on Thursday, brings a decisive close to a case that drew widespread public attention due to the ages of the individuals involved and the shocking nature of the crime. According to court findings, Okoligwe, a 400 level Petrochemical Engineering student, murdered Justina, a 300 level Biochemistry student, in October 2023 at his residence in Port Harcourt. The court held that the prosecution provided compelling evidence establishing that the young man intentionally caused the death of his girlfriend.

During the trial, the prosecution presented witness testimonies, forensic reports and material exhibits said to have been recovered from the crime scene. These details, according to investigators, pointed directly to Okoligwe as the perpetrator. The court agreed, ruling that the chain of evidence left no reasonable doubt about his culpability.

It was reported by legal officials present in court that the presiding judge described the act as “gruesome and deliberate,” stressing that the law demanded the highest punishment for such an offence. Family members of the victim, who were present when the judgment was delivered, wept as the sentence was pronounced.

The tragic incident first came to public attention in late 2023 after Justina was declared missing by colleagues. Her disappearance led to a police investigation that later uncovered her remains at Okoligwe’s residence. The police authorities, according to early reports on the case, stated that the suspect had confessed during preliminary interrogation before later retracting his statements in court.

Human rights advocates have described the judgment as a strong warning to individuals involved in gender based violence. Student groups at the University of Port Harcourt also reacted to the ruling, noting that the institution had been deeply scarred by the case and calling for improved safety measures for students living off campus.

As the legal process concludes with the conviction and death sentence, the family of the late Justina Otuene expressed hope that the ruling would bring them a measure of closure after months of grief and public scrutiny.

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