A 30-year-old man, Okpara Chibuike Emmanuel, has told the Enugu State Police Command how he allegedly killed his 27-year-old girlfriend, Chinyere Rosemary Ugwu, before attempting to conceal her remains and destroy evidence that could lead investigators to him.
Emmanuel gave the account during an interview with the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, in a video shared on Friday.
Ugwu, a graduate of Medical Laboratory Science from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, had recently completed her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
According to the suspect, the incident occurred around midnight on September 19, following an argument after he told Ugwu that he could cure people living with hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis.
He alleged that Ugwu accused him of infecting her with HIV, leading to a physical confrontation.
“She held the pestle and started hitting me, but I had to withdraw it from her. I hit her, which caused her to collapse,” Emmanuel said.
He admitted that he subsequently attacked her with a machete, inflicting injuries to her wrist, head and neck.
After the incident, Emmanuel said he locked the toilets and master bedroom before wrapping Ugwu’s remains in a black nylon bag and moving them to the toilet.
The body was later discovered after neighbours noticed an offensive odour and broke into the apartment.
The suspect also admitted damaging Ugwu’s Samsung phone, saying he feared it could help the police trace him.
“I had this fear that people could trace the phone,” he said.
He added that Ugwu’s iPhone had already been switched off after she complained that it was faulty.
Emmanuel said he met Ugwu on Facebook in 2023 and resumed their relationship after she returned to Enugu in 2026. He claimed he had planned to marry her and had also spoken with her mother.
Explaining his actions, the suspect claimed he was not fully aware of himself at the time and suggested that he might have been under the influence of a substance.
“This thing is not actually what I did clearly or intentionally. I wasn’t fully aware of myself first,” he said.
He pleaded for forgiveness and mercy, saying he had been praying over the incident.
Meanwhile, the police said Ugwu’s parents and siblings had been identified and interviewed by the Commissioner of Police, while the suspect had also been interrogated.
The command said the Commissioner had directed that the investigation be concluded and Emmanuel charged to court.
The police also advised members of the public, particularly young women, to inform trusted persons of their whereabouts when going out.
The incident was first reported on September 23 after the police announced Emmanuel’s arrest. The command said he was rescued from an angry mob following the discovery of Ugwu’s decomposing remains in the apartment.
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