By Divine Sam.
A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced Damian Okoligwe, a 26-year-old final-year Petrochemical Engineering student of the University of Port Harcourt, to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Justina Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student.
Justice Chiwen Nsirim Nwosu delivered the judgment on Friday, ruling that the prosecution led by Charles Obediah-Mbaba successfully proved that Okoligwe murdered Justina in October 2023 at his residence. The court affirmed that her death was a direct consequence of his actions.
Okoligwe was arrested in 2023 after neighbours alerted police to a foul smell coming from his room in Ozuoba, leading officers to forcefully enter and find Justina’s dismembered body hidden inside a Ghana-must-go bag. He was accused of killing her for alleged ritual purposes.
The case was initially filed at a Magistrate Court, but in November 2023 Chief Magistrate Nnenda Obiageri Onugbum ordered its transfer to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice. The murder trial formally began in May 2024 after the Rivers State Government assumed responsibility for the case.
During a 2023 police interrogation, Okoligwe denied the allegations, claiming he had been ill when Justina visited and woke to find her dead. He said he left for treatment at his brother’s home and returned days later to dispose of her body, denying any involvement in organ removal.
Following the court’s decision, prosecuting counsel Obediah Charles Mbaba welcomed the judgment, describing it as justice duly served for Justina, who was her parents’ only daughter. He expressed hope that the ruling would deter young people from seeking quick riches through unlawful means.
Osat-Awaji Otuene, the victim’s older brother, also expressed relief, praising the judge for a thorough and well-delivered judgment. He said the ruling brought comfort to the grieving family and assured them that Justina did not die in vain.
The defence counsel declined to give a statement after the verdict.
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