A Rivers State High Court has sentenced Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level student of the University of Port Harcourt, to death for the murder of his girlfriend, Justina Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student.
Justice Chiwen Nsirim Nwosu delivered the judgment after ruling that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Okoligwe intentionally caused the death of 20-year-old Justina, who was the only daughter of her parents.
The tragic incident occurred in October 2023, when Okoligwe killed Justina at his residence. Her dismembered body was later discovered inside a “Ghana-must-go” bag after neighbours alerted police to a foul smell coming from the apartment. This led to his arrest and the beginning of a long legal process.
The case, first handled by a Magistrate Court, was later transferred to the Department of Public Prosecutions in November 2023. The formal trial officially commenced in May 2024 under the supervision of the Rivers State Government.
Prosecuting counsel Charles Obediah-Mbaba praised the court’s ruling, describing it as justice served and a strong warning to young people against engaging in criminal activities or seeking shortcuts to wealth. He described the murder as “gruesome” and suggestive of possible ritual motives.
Justina’s elder brother, Osat-Awaji Otuene, expressed relief that justice had finally been delivered for his sister.
This judgment adds to a growing list of high-profile murder convictions in Rivers State, involving students, a self-styled pastor, and a Chinese national — all sentenced to death for killing their partners. The case has also reignited national conversations about rising intimate-partner violence and the need for stronger preventive measures in Nigeria.
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