Rivers court sentences UNIPORT student to death for murder of ex-girlfriend

A Rivers State High Court has sentenced Mr. Damian Chinemerem Okoligwe to death by hanging for the murder of Miss Justina Otungen Nkang, a 300-level Biochemistry student of the University of Port Harcourt.

The judgment has stirred emotional reactions across Andoni communities, who say the verdict brings a measure of justice to the late student’s family.

Okoligwe, who had falsely presented himself as a content creator, was first arrested and paraded by the Rivers State Police Command in October 2023.

Investigations revealed that he lured Justina, his former girlfriend, and killed her in what authorities described as a ritual-related crime.

At the time of his arrest, Okoligwe was a 400-level Petroleum Engineering student at the University of Port Harcourt.

After reviewing the evidence presented, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to death.

The ruling marks the end of a case that drew widespread public outrage and renewed conversations about violence against women and campus safety.