Enugu police identify victim in alleged dismemberment case
Police in Nigeria’s Enugu State have identified the woman allegedly killed and dismembered in an apartment as Chinyere Ugwu, a 27-year-old Medical Laboratory Science graduate. The arrested suspect, Chibuike Okpara, told police the incident followed an argument about HIV infection and said the killing occurred while he was under the influence of drugs.
Police in Enugu State, Nigeria, have identified a woman allegedly killed and dismembered in an apartment as Chinyere Ugwu, Premium Times reported. The police said Ugwu was 27 and had graduated in Medical Laboratory Science. She had also recently completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps programme, according to police spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe.
Police arrested 30-year-old Chibuike Okpara after the incident, which reportedly occurred on 19 September at an apartment in Olympic Layout, One-Day Area, Enugu State. Ndukwe said the police had identified the victim’s parents and siblings and would prosecute the suspect. In a video interview published by the newspaper, Okpara said an argument about who had infected the other with HIV preceded the killing.
He alleged that Ugwu attacked him with a pestle before he struck her and she collapsed. Okpara said he cut the body and concealed it in a toilet in the apartment. He also said he damaged Ugwu’s phone and SIM card to prevent her family from contacting her.
Neighbours reportedly forced their way into the apartment after noticing an offensive smell. The suspect told police that he met Ugwu on Facebook in 2023 and later moved from Imo State to Enugu. He attributed the killing partly to drug use and asked the government to show mercy, saying the act had not been intentional.
His account is an allegation and will be subject to the legal process. The police spokesperson said the case would be prosecuted.
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