The family of the late University of Port Harcourt student, Justina Otuene, expressed relief on Friday after the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt sentenced her boyfriend, Damian Okoligwe, to death by hanging for her murder.
Okoligwe, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student at UNIPORT, killed Justina, a 300-level Biochemistry student, on October 20, 2023, in his apartment in Mgbuoba, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. After the murder, he dismembered her body and placed the remains in a wheelbarrow, but was apprehended as he attempted to dispose of them.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Chinwe Nsirim-Nwosu ruled that the prosecution had proven all elements of the crime beyond reasonable doubt. She described Okoligwe’s actions as “intentional, composed, calculated, coordinated, and evil,” noting that the evidence before the court was clear and consistent. She ordered that he “be hanged by the neck until he is confirmed dead.”
Justina’s elder brother, Osatawaji Otuene, welcomed the ruling, calling it detailed, well-structured, and a source of comfort to the family, saying it assured them that his sister did not die in vain.
Prosecution counsel Charles Mbaba also expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating that it would bring closure to the family and serve as justice for Justina. He added that the judgment should stand as a warning to young people who believe in taking dangerous shortcuts in pursuit of wealth.
