A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced a 400-level student of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Damian Okoligwe, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Justina Otuene.
Okoligwe, a Petrochemical Engineering student at the time of the incident, was convicted for the killing, which occurred on Oct. 20, 2023, at his apartment in Mgbuoba, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. Otuene was a 300-level Biochemistry student of the same institution.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Chinwe Nsirim-Nwosu held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing the essential elements required for a murder conviction. The court ruled that the actions of the accused were deliberate and coordinated.
Justice Nsirim-Nwosu subsequently sentenced Okoligwe to death by hanging.
Speaking after the judgment, prosecution counsel Charles Mbaba expressed satisfaction with the ruling, noting that it served the interest of justice. He said the outcome would serve as a deterrent to young people who may attempt to engage in harmful or unlawful acts.
“Justice has been done and seen to be done for Justina Otuene,” he said, adding that the conviction brought a measure of relief to the victim’s family.
The elder brother of the deceased, Osatawaji Otuene, welcomed the judgment, describing it as a source of comfort for the family.
