Port Harcourt Court Sentences UniPort Student to Death by Hanging for Ritual Murder of Girlfriend
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday sentenced 26-year-old Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student of the University of Port Harcourt, to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Justina Nkemdilim Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student of the same university.
Justice Chiwendu Nwosu delivered the judgment, holding that the prosecution, led by Charles Obediah-Mbaba, proved beyond reasonable doubt that Okoligwe murdered Justina in his off-campus residence in October 2023 in circumstances suggestive of a money ritual.
The court found that the victim’s death resulted directly from the defendant’s actions.
Okoligwe was arrested in 2023 after neighbours alerted the Ozuoba Police Division to a foul odour coming from his room and later spotted him attempting to dispose of a large sack. Police officers forced entry and discovered Justina’s dismembered body stuffed inside a Ghana-must-go bag.
The case was initially charged before a Port Harcourt Magistrate Court. In November 2023, Chief Magistrate Rita Ojyn Onugbum ordered the file transferred to the Department of Public Prosecutions for legal advice, after which the Rivers State Government took over prosecution. The full trial commenced in May 2024.
During police interrogation in 2023, Okoligwe denied killing Justina, claiming he was ill when she visited, found her dead upon waking, and panicked. He insisted he only attempted to dispose of the body three days later and denied removing any organs.
Reacting to the verdict, lead prosecutor Charles Obediah-Mbaba hailed the judgment as a victory for justice.
“Justice has not only been done but seen and felt to be done in respect of the gruesome murder of Justina Otuene,” he told journalists outside the courtroom. “She was the only daughter of her parents but was gruesomely murdered in circumstances suggestive of ritual intention. Today the court has pronounced Damian Okoligwe guilty. We hope Justina’s soul can now rest in peace.
“This judgment will also serve as a deterrent to youths who believe the shortcut to wealth is through rituals. It is a lesson to work hard and obey the laws of the land.”
Osat-Awaji Otuene, elder brother of the deceased, described the verdict as “well-deserved” and a source of relief to the family.
“I feel calm. It was a very detailed and well-structured judgment. I commend Justice Nwosu; everything was properly coordinated,” he said. “It’s a relief knowing my sister did not die in vain. The right judgment has been delivered.”
The defence counsel declined to speak to the press after the proceedings.
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