A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced a student of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) to death by hanging for killing his girlfriend in what the prosecution described as a brutal, premeditated attack. The court found that the undergraduate, who was standing trial on a one‑count charge of murder, intentionally caused the young woman’s death after luring her to his residence under false pretences.
In the judgment, the trial judge reviewed the evidence of prosecution witnesses, including the investigating police officers and medical experts who conducted the autopsy, and held that the testimony clearly established that the victim died from multiple stab wounds inflicted by the convict. The court noted that the defendant’s extra‑judicial statement and the recovery of the murder weapon at the scene corroborated the prosecution’s case and destroyed his attempt to claim innocence.
The judge ruled that the prosecution had proved the charge of murder beyond reasonable doubt, stressing that there was no evidence of provocation or self‑defence that could reduce the offence to manslaughter. Declaring that the sanctity of human life must be protected, the court pronounced: the defendant is “hereby sentenced to death by hanging until you are dead,” adding that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to similar crimes against women and other vulnerable persons.
Outside the courtroom, the victim’s family and supporters expressed mixed feelings of relief and grief, saying no punishment could bring their daughter back but that the verdict at least affirmed that “justice has spoken”.
Rights advocates and students who followed the proceedings urged authorities to strengthen campus safety and intensify campaigns against gender‑based violence, arguing that the case highlights the urgent need for early intervention and better protection for young women in relationships.
