Man Gives Police Account of Girlfriend’s Death After Alleged HIV Dispute in Enugu

A 30-year-old man, Okpara Chibuike Emmanuel, has recounted to the Enugu State Police Command how his 27-year-old girlfriend, Chinyere Rosemary Ugwu, died following an argument reportedly triggered by a dispute over HIV.

Emmanuel gave the account during an interview with the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, which was subsequently shared on the PPRO’s social media platforms on Friday.

The police identified Ugwu as a graduate of Medical Laboratory Science from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, who had recently completed her National Youth Service Corps programme.

According to Emmanuel, the incident occurred around midnight on September 19, 2026, after he told Ugwu that he could cure people suffering from hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis.

He said the conversation escalated when Ugwu accused him of infecting her with HIV, resulting in an argument that later became physical.

Recounting the confrontation, Emmanuel said, “She held the pestle and started hitting me but I had to withdraw it from her. I hit her which caused her to collapse.”

The suspect said he subsequently used a machete on Ugwu after she collapsed, inflicting injuries to her wrist, head and neck.

Asked specifically about what he did with the weapon, he said, “Yeah, I chopped off the wrist.”

Emmanuel also acknowledged cutting her on the head and neck before allegedly attempting to conceal the incident.

“I had to just close up the toilets and close the master’s bedroom and locked it up,” he said.

He told the police that he wrapped Ugwu’s body in a black nylon bag and moved it into the toilet, where it remained until neighbours reportedly became suspicious after detecting an offensive odour.

“I was weeping, broken-hearted,” he said, claiming that he had attempted to communicate with a neighbour but could not obtain assistance.

Emmanuel also admitted damaging Ugwu’s Samsung phone, explaining that he feared the device could be used to 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 before the incident after she complained that the device was faulty.

The suspect said he first met Ugwu on Facebook in 2023 and that their relationship resumed after she returned to Enugu in 2026.

According to him, the relationship had become serious, as he had planned to marry her and had also spoken with her mother about the relationship before the incident.

When questioned about his actions, Emmanuel said he was not completely conscious of what he was doing at the time and suggested that he may 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.

The suspect appealed 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,” he said.

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 Commissioner subsequently directed that the investigation be concluded and that the suspect be charged before a court.

Police also urged members of the public, particularly young women, to take precautions by informing trusted persons of their whereabouts when going out.

The case first came to public attention on September 23, when the police announced Emmanuel’s arrest.

According to the command, neighbours discovered Ugwu’s decomposing remains after an offensive odour emanated from the apartment. The body was allegedly found wrapped in nylon and kept inside a toilet.

The police said the incident occurred on September 19 and that Emmanuel was arrested after he was rescued from an angry mob.