The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 51-year-old security guard, Emeka Emmanuel Nwangwu, for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old maternal cousin, Loveth Uloma Nwangwu, in Nsukka.
Police spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, saying the suspect was arrested on December 1 by operatives of the Nsukka Urban Division with support from the Neighbourhood Watch.
According to the police, the victim had on November 28 reported a case of defilement, sexual abuse, abduction and threats to her life at the Umabor Police Division. She alleged that she had been living with the suspect since 2019, at age 13, following the death of his wife, during which he allegedly isolated her from family and subjected her to sustained sexual abuse.
Ndukwe further disclosed that the suspect allegedly threatened the victim with a firearm when she attempted to flee to her family house in Enugu-Ezike, and locked her in a room at his residence in Ibeku-Opi before she managed to escape and report to the police.
The suspect was invited to the station, where he reportedly confessed and pleaded for forgiveness. The family, citing the sensitive nature of the allegations, initially chose not to pursue prosecution and opted for a spiritual cleansing.
However, tragedy struck when the suspect allegedly stormed a pharmacy in Nsukka, where the victim was receiving treatment, assaulted her and repeatedly slammed her head on the floor. She later died from the injuries at the hospital. Her body has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
The suspect was immediately rearrested.
Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, condemned the killing and described it as cruel and unacceptable. He assured the public that justice would be served and directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a thorough investigation and charge the suspect to court without delay.
