How I Killed My Girlfriend After HIV Dispute — Suspect

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, following an argument over HIV.

The suspect gave the account during an interview with the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, which was shared on his social media platforms on Friday.

The police identified the deceased as a graduate of Medical Laboratory Science from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, who 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 living with hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis.

He said Ugwu then accused him of infecting her with HIV, leading to an argument and 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,” he said.

The suspect said he subsequently used a machete to inflict injuries on her wrist, head and neck.

Emmanuel said he then used a machete on her after she collapsed.

“Yeah, I chopped off the wrist,” he said when asked what he did with the machete.

He also admitted cutting her on the head and neck.

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

He said he wrapped her body in a black nylon bag and moved it to the toilet, where it remained until neighbours broke into the house after noticing an offensive odour.

“I was weeping, broken-hearted,” he said, adding that he had tried to communicate with a neighbour but was unable to get help.

Emmanuel also admitted damaging Ugwu’s Samsung phone because he feared it could be used to trace him.

“I had this fear that people could trace the phone,” he said.

He said her iPhone had already been switched off before the incident after she complained that it was faulty.

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

He said he had intended to marry her and had spoken with her mother before the incident.

Asked about his actions, Emmanuel said he was not fully aware of himself at the time and attributed this to possibly being 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 to God 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 police said the deceased’s parents and siblings had been identified and interviewed by the Commissioner of Police, while the suspect had also been interviewed.

The command said the Commissioner had directed that the investigation be concluded and the suspect charged to court.

Police urged members of the public, particularly young women, to inform trusted people of their whereabouts when going out.

The incident was first reported by The PUNCH on September 23, after the Enugu State Police Command announced Emmanuel’s arrest.

Police said neighbours discovered the decomposing body after an offensive odour came from the apartment, where the remains had allegedly been wrapped in nylon and kept in a toilet.

The command said the incident occurred on September 19 and that the suspect was arrested after being rescued from an angry mob.

PUNCH