By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command said it had arrested a 26-year-old male suspect, Anikpe Valentine Chibuike, over the murdêr of his girlfriend, Ogechukwu Mmadubugwu, a 35-year-old single mother, in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of the State.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the suspect was arrested on January 7 by the operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, following intensive investigations into the incident.
The Command, through the statement, also debunked reports making the rounds that the k!lling was perpetrated by some individuals the suspect allegedly owed money, describing such narratives as false, misleading and not supported by facts established by investigators.
According to the PPRO, during interrogation, the suspect confessed to st@bbing the victim on the neck with a knife at about 12 midnight on December 9, 2025, resulting in her de@th.
“According to the suspect’s confession, the act was allegedly committed over suspicion of infidelity. He further stated that after going bankrupt and becoming a chronic debtor while attempting to establish a business for the victim, he became emotionally distressed, which led to the fatal confrontation.
“The suspect also confessed to dropping a fake letter claiming he had been kidn@pped by people he owed money, in a bid to mislead investigators and aid his escape from the crime scene,” the Police Spokesman said.
Continuing, he said police detectives have visited the mortuary where the victim’s body was deposited, as part of ongoing investigative procedures. The Police Command also noted that the incident sparked outrage and renewed conversations around domestic violence and relationship-related crimes within the community.
“The Command also urges members of the public to seek lawful and peaceful means of resolving disputes and to report early signs of domestic violence to security agencies to prevent avoidable tragedies,” SP Ikenga added.
The PPRO concluded that the suspect will be charged to court upon the completion of investigations, even as he further re-assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s commitment to justice and the protection of lives and property.
