The Enugu State Police Command has identified the woman allegedly killed by her boyfriend following an argument over HIV as 27-year-old Chinyere Rosemary Ugwu.
Ugwu was a graduate of Medical Laboratory Science from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, and had recently completed her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, according to the police.
The suspect, 30-year-old Okpara Chibuike Emmanuel, was arrested after the woman’s decomposing remains were discovered at his residence in the Olympic Layout area of Enugu.
The police had earlier said the incident occurred on September 19, 2026, following an argument between the couple over allegations concerning who infected the other with HIV.
In an interview shared by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, Emmanuel allegedly gave a detailed account of what happened.
According to the suspect, he had told Ugwu that he could cure people living with hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis. He said Ugwu subsequently accused him of infecting her with HIV, leading to an argument that became physical.
Emmanuel alleged that Ugwu picked up a pestle and hit him before he took it from her.
“She held the pestle and started hitting me but I had to withdraw it from her. I hit her which caused her to collapse.”
He further alleged that he subsequently used a machete to inflict injuries on her wrist, head and neck.
When asked what he did with the machete, the suspect said:
“Yeah, I chopped off the wrist.”
Police had earlier reported that Emmanuel confessed during preliminary interrogation to striking Ugwu on the head with a pestle, after which he allegedly wrapped her remains in nylon and concealed them inside the toilet of his apartment.
The suspect told investigators that he locked the toilet and master bedroom after the incident.
“I had to just close up the toilets and close the master’s bedroom and locked it up.”
He allegedly wrapped Ugwu’s body in a black nylon bag and left it inside the toilet.
The remains were eventually discovered after neighbours noticed an offensive odour coming from the apartment and forced their way inside.
The police said the remains were evacuated to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Emmanuel also admitted damaging Ugwu’s Samsung phone, saying he feared it could be used to trace him.
“I had this fear that people could trace the phone.”
He said her iPhone had already been switched off before the incident after she complained that it was faulty.
According to the suspect, he met Ugwu on Facebook in 2023 and resumed their relationship after she returned to Enugu in 2026. He said he intended to marry her and had also spoken with her mother before the incident.
Emmanuel claimed he was not fully aware of his actions 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 pleaded for forgiveness and mercy, saying he had been praying over the incident.
“I’ve been praying to God for forgiveness and, like, for the fact that this wasn’t actually clearly pure intentional act from my angle, and I’ve been pleading for the government to temper justice with mercy.”
The police have not established the truth of that claim, and the suspect’s account remains part of an ongoing investigation.
The Enugu State Police Command said Ugwu’s parents and siblings had been identified and interviewed by the Commissioner of Police, alongside the suspect. The command also said the Commissioner had directed investigators to conclude the case and ensure that Emmanuel is charged to court.
The suspect was initially rescued from an angry mob before being re-arrested by officers attached to the Awkunanaw Division on September 21.
The police urged members of the public, particularly women, to ensure that trusted relatives or friends know their whereabouts when going out or visiting people.
The command said the investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Chinyere Rosemary Ugwu’s death.
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