Court remands man who killed girlfriend over alleged HIV infection

A magistrate’s court in Enugu State has remanded Chibuike Okpara, the 30-year-old man who allegedly killed his girlfriend and concealed her body in a toilet in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the police in the state arrested the suspect for killing the victim on 19 September in his apartment at Olympic Layout, One-Day Area of Enugu State.

The victim has been identified as Chinyere Ugwu, a 27-year-old graduate of Medical Laboratory Science.

The victim recently concluded her mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Arraignment and remand

Mr Okpara was arraigned before the magistrate’s court on Friday, Daniel Ndukwe, the police spokesperson in Enugu State said in a statement on Saturday.

Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said the arraignment of the defendant followed the conclusion of investigations into his offences.

The spokesperson said the defendant said the court subsequently remanded the defendant in the correctional facility.

“The court also ordered the transmission of the case file to the attorney-general of Enugu State through the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for review and legal advice,” he said.

He did not mention the particular court where the defendant was arraigned and remanded.

Mr Ndukwe did not respond to a PREMIUM TIMES enquiry sent to him on Saturday night seeking to know the exact court where the arraignment took place.

The spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Bitrus Giwa, has reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating violent crime and ensuring the prompt prosecution of offenders.

Mr Giwa also urged young people, particularly women, to exercise caution in their relationships and remain alert to potential signs of violence.

Background

Mr Okpara was arrested on 19 September for killing the victim and concealing her body in his apartment at Olympic Layout, One-Day Area of Enugu State.

The suspect later confessed that he killed the victim over an argument that he infected her with HIV.

The suspect claimed he dumped the body of the deceased in the toilet because he did not know what to do at the time.

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He said neighbours who later perceived offensive odour oozing from the victim’s corpse forced their way into the apartment and saw the body.

Mr Okpara further confessed that, to prevent her family from calling her phone, he damaged her mobile phone and her SIM card too.

The suspect recalled that he met the girl friend on Facebook in 2023 before he decided to relocate from Owerri in Imo State to Enugu in December 2025.

He later claimed that he killed the victim because he was under the influence of drugs at the time.