A 30-year-old man in Enugu State has confessed to killing his 27-year-old girlfriend over an HIV dispute, later destroying her smartphone so police could not track his location.
Okpara Chibuike Emmanuel was arrested after neighbours found the decomposing body of his girlfriend, Chinyere Rosemary Ugwu, in his apartment on September 19, 2026. Chinyere was a recent NYSC graduate who studied Medical Laboratory Science at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) in Enugu.
In a video interview shared on the Enugu State Police Command’s social media platforms, Emmanuel explained that the tragedy started with a disagreement over their health. According to him, Chinyere accused him of infecting her with HIV.
According to Emmanuel, the argument turned violent, when Chinyere attacked him with a pestle, but he snatched it and hit her until she collapsed. He then used a machete to cut her head, neck, and wrist, wrapped her body in black nylon bags and hid it inside his toilet.
He then destroyed Chinyere’s Samsung phone, hid her second phone which was already switched off to cover all trace leading to him.
Neighbours who noticed a terrible smell coming from the apartment, broke the door, found the body, and caught Emmanuel before handing him over to the police. The suspect mentioned that he first met Chinyere on Facebook in 2023, and they had recently reconnected to build a relationship.
Speaking to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, Emmanuel blamed his actions on an unknown substance and said he was not in his right mind. He also pleaded for mercy, saying he had been praying to God for forgiveness.
The Enugu State Commissioner of Police has directed investigators to wrap up the case quickly so that the suspect can be charged to court.
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