Enugu Man Details Girlfriend's Killing Amidst HIV Row

A 30-year-old individual, Okpara Chibuike Emmanuel, has provided a detailed account to the Enugu State Police Command regarding the alleged murder of his 27-year-old girlfriend, Chinyere Rosemary Ugwu. The tragic incident, he claims, stemmed from a heated disagreement concerning HIV.

Emmanuel's confession was shared by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on his social media platforms on Friday, following an interview. The deceased, Chinyere Rosemary Ugwu, was identified by the police as a Medical Laboratory Science graduate from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, who had recently concluded her National Youth Service Corps program.

According to Emmanuel, the fatal confrontation transpired around midnight on September 19, 2026. He recounted telling Ugwu that he possessed the ability to cure individuals afflicted with hepatitis C, HIV, and syphilis. This declaration, he stated, led Ugwu to accuse him of infecting her with HIV, which quickly escalated into a verbal and then physical altercation.

“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 confessed. He further admitted to subsequently using a machete to inflict injuries upon her wrist, head, and neck. When directly questioned about the machete, he chillingly responded, “Yeah, I chopped off the wrist,” also confirming cuts to her head and neck.

Following the act, Emmanuel stated, “I had to just close up the toilets and close the master’s bedroom and locked it up.” He detailed wrapping Ugwu's body in a black nylon bag and moving it to the toilet. The remains stayed there until neighbours, alerted by a foul odour, forcibly entered the house. Emmanuel claimed he was “weeping, broken-hearted” and had attempted to contact a neighbour for help, but was unsuccessful.

He also admitted to intentionally damaging Ugwu’s Samsung phone, citing fear that it could be used by authorities to trace him. “I had this fear that people could trace the phone,” he explained. He noted that her iPhone had already been switched off before the incident, as she had complained about it being faulty.

Emmanuel revealed that he met Ugwu on Facebook in 2023 and they rekindled their relationship when she returned to Enugu in 2026. He stated his intention to marry her and had even discussed this with her mother prior to the tragic event. When asked about his actions, Emmanuel attributed them to not being fully aware of himself at the time, suggesting 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 asserted.

He has since pleaded for divine and governmental forgiveness and mercy, maintaining that his actions were not entirely intentional. “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,” he said.

The police have confirmed interviewing the deceased’s parents and siblings, as well as the suspect. The Commissioner of Police has directed that the investigation be swiftly concluded and Emmanuel be formally charged in court. The police command also issued an advisory, urging members of the public, particularly young women, to always inform trusted individuals of their whereabouts when venturing out.

This incident was initially brought to public attention by The PUNCH on September 23, following the Enugu State Police Command's announcement of Emmanuel’s arrest. Police reports indicated that neighbours discovered the decomposing body after an offensive smell emanated from the apartment where the remains were allegedly wrapped in nylon and kept in a toilet. The command further stated that the incident occurred on September 19 and that the suspect was apprehended after being rescued from an enraged mob.