The Rivers State Police Command apprehended Demain Okoligwe, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student at the University of Port Harcourt, on charges of murdering his girlfriend and extracting her organs at his residence near Port Harcourt. The victim, Justina Otuene, a 300-level Biochemistry student at UNIPORT, fell prey to this horrific crime. State Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, made this grim revelation during a press conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
According to Nwonyi, Okoligwe gruesomely killed his girlfriend, allegedly for ritualistic purposes, and concealed her decomposing body in his apartment for several days. It was a concerned neighbor who detected a foul odor emanating from Okoligwe’s residence and reported it to the police.
Nwonyi narrated, “On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, around 3:30 PM, a Good Samaritan and neighbor residing on Road 20, near NTA Ozuoba, discovered a putrid odor in Okoligwe’s house. Alarmed by this, he promptly notified the police. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) led detectives to the scene. Upon forcibly opening the door, they discovered a lifeless body inside a Ghana must-go bag.”
Demain Okoligwe, a 24-year-old 400-level student at UNIPORT and the prime suspect, was apprehended for questioning. Justina Otuene’s lifeless and mutilated body was recovered and taken to the mortuary. Preliminary investigations are underway, with the case transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department for a thorough inquiry.
The Police Commissioner extended condolences to the victim’s family and cautioned young women to exercise caution when choosing their partners. He also urged parents to advise their children on the importance of being selective about their friendships to avoid falling into the hands of individuals with sinister intentions.
In a separate incident, the police paraded Enyinnaya Iheukwumere, who claimed to be a doctor, along with two accomplices for their alleged involvement in trafficking four children, including a one-year and seven-month-old child, all of whom had been sold to buyers.
CP Nwonyi explained that the suspects were arrested following a woman’s report that her son was stolen from her residence in Rumuokoro, on the outskirts of Port Harcourt. This prompted an undercover investigation, resulting in the rescue of the abducted children.
Nwonyi elaborated, “On September 9, 2023, at around 4:50 PM, Ijeoma James reported an abduction case. On August 16, 2023, a man named Promise entered their compound and stole her four-year-old son, Prosper James. Despite their efforts, they were unable to locate her child. Police detectives from the Special Area Division launched an intelligence-led operation, leading to the arrest of Ifesinachi Opara, who had sold the child to Happiness, Enyinnaya Iheukwumere, known as Dr. Hagi.”
Further investigations unveiled the recovery of three additional children trafficked by Dr. Hagi from different regions of the country, three of whom were from Benue State. The rescued children were identified as Benedict Kpaaka, a one-year and seven-month-old; Godgift Julius, four years old; and Philomina, a six-year-old girl. It was determined that Angel Shimeson, a 25-year-old from Makurdi, who is still at large, was the supplier of the children to Dr. Hagi. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend her.
