Meet Justice Chinwe Nsirim Nwosu Who Delivered Death Sentence To Killer Of Justina Otuene
On 28 November 2025, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt was silent except for the sound of quiet weeping when Justice Chinwe Ann Nsirim-Nwosu pronounced the final words: “Damian Chinemerem Okoligwe, you shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy on your soul.”
With that, the 26-year-old university student who murdered his 20-year-old girlfriend, Justina Otuene Nkang, from Andoni Local Government Area, was sentenced to death.
In October 2023, Justina, a 300-level Biochemistry student at the University of Port Harcourt and the only daughter of her parents, went to visit her boyfriend, Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student. She never came home.
Inside his one-room apartment in Mgbuoba, Okoligwe strangled Justina, cut her body into pieces, packed the remains into a large “Ghana-must-go” bag and a wheelbarrow, and planned to dispose of them. Neighbours noticed a terrible smell and called the police.
When officers broke in, they met a sight that shocked even seasoned investigators.
Okoligwe first claimed he woke up and found her dead. The court later described that story as “a wicked lie.”
The Rivers State Government took over the case and charged him with murder. After a trial that lasted over a year, Justice Nsirim-Nwosu delivered a clear and detailed 45-minute judgment. She said the evidence showed beyond any doubt that Okoligwe planned and carried out the killing with cold calculation.
Outside the court, Justina’s elder brother spoke softly: “Today my sister can rest. The judge did not miss one detail. We are grateful.”
Justice Chinwe Ann Nsirim-Nwosu graduated from Madonna University, Okija, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2008. She joined the Rivers State judiciary and was appointed a High Court judge in 2018.
Known for her calm voice, sharp mind, and deep sense of fairness, she has handled many big cases involving murder, corruption, and violence against women. Those who know her say she reads every page of evidence herself and never rushes judgment.
In the courtroom, she is firm but respectful; outside, she is a quiet, prayerful woman who believes justice must protect the weak and punish the guilty without fear or favour.
Okoligwe has the right to appeal, but for the family from Andoni and for many young women across Rivers State, 28 November 2025 will be remembered as the day justice spoke clearly: no one kills and walks free.
Justina Otuene Nkang is gone, but because of a thorough judge, a determined prosecution, and a mother’s tears that never dried, her killer will never be free again.
Culled from DAILYGISTIRL.COM
