A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has delivered one of the nation’s most disturbing and decisive criminal judgments of the year, sentencing a 400-level University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) student to death by hanging for the brutal murder and dismemberment of his girlfriend, a 300-level Biochemistry undergraduate at the same university. The judgment, which was delivered on Friday, 28 November 2025, has sent shockwaves across the country, reopening difficult conversations about campus safety, gender-based violence, youth morality and the growing desperation among young people.
The convict, a 400-level Petrochemical Engineering student, stood trial for the October 2023 killing that left the nation horrified after police discovered the dismembered remains of his girlfriend inside his apartment in Mgbuoba, located within Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. According to the prosecutorial narrative presented to the court, the young woman had visited his residence and never returned. When she became unreachable, her family and colleagues raised concerns, which eventually led to a police intervention after neighbours complained of foul odour and suspicious movements around the apartment.
Investigators forced their way into the room and found the victim’s remains stuffed inside a bag, already dismembered, with indications suggesting that the convict was preparing to dispose of the body using a wheelbarrow. The discovery triggered an intense public outcry, as Nigerians questioned how a university student could commit such a gruesome act against someone he was romantically involved with.
During the trial, the prosecution laid out a chain of evidence that the court described as both consistent and irrefutable. Witness accounts, forensic observations and the convict’s contradictory statements collectively painted a picture of premeditated violence rather than an accident or a moment of uncontrollable aggression. The court ruled that the prosecution had successfully established the three essential elements of murder: that the victim died, that her death was caused by the accused person, and that the act was intentional.
In delivering the judgment, the presiding judge described the crime as “intentional, composed, calculated, coordinated and evil,” stressing that the actions of the convict demonstrated a chilling level of deliberateness and self-control. According to the verdict as read in open court, the defendant was ordered to “be hanged by the neck until he is confirmed dead,” bringing an end to the two-year legal battle that had gripped the UNIPORT community, the victim’s family, and the nation at large.
The prosecution counsel welcomed the ruling and noted that although justice cannot restore the life that was taken, the verdict provides a measure of closure for the grieving family and serves as a critical deterrent in a society increasingly confronted by violent crimes committed by young people. He emphasized that this case should remind youths that choices — especially those influenced by desperation, misguided ambition or emotional instability — carry severe consequences. The victim’s family also expressed relief, with her elder brother describing the judgment as “thorough, well-structured, and a necessary step for our healing process.”
The case has reopened widespread debate about student welfare, mental-health support systems and the rising danger of toxic, abusive or emotionally unstable relationships among young people. Many commentators argue that universities and communities must do more to offer psychological support, early-warning intervention systems, and accessible channels for students experiencing distress. The idea that a university student — someone engaged in academic pursuit and scientific learning — could perpetrate a crime of this magnitude has become a dark reminder of the hidden crises affecting Nigerian youths.
