The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old man, Anikpe Valentine Chibuike, in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, Ogechukwu Mmadubugwu, a 35-year-old single mother, in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect was arrested on January 7, 2026, by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka. The police dismissed reports alleging that the killing was carried out by people to whom the suspect was indebted, describing such claims as false and misleading.
Confirming the arrest in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspect confessed during interrogation to stabbing the victim in the neck with a knife, an act that resulted in her death.
According to Ikenga, the incident occurred at about midnight on December 9, 2025. The suspect reportedly told investigators that the attack was triggered by suspicion of infidelity.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that the suspect claimed he became emotionally distressed after going bankrupt and accumulating debts while attempting to establish a business for the victim, a situation that allegedly led to the fatal confrontation.
Ikenga also revealed that the suspect admitted to planting a fake letter claiming he had been kidnapped by people he owed money to, in an attempt to mislead investigators and facilitate his escape after the crime.
“As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives have visited the mortuary where the deceased’s body was deposited,” the police spokesperson said.
The Command noted that the incident had sparked public outrage and renewed discussions on domestic violence and relationship-related crimes in the community.
SP Ikenga urged members of the public to adopt peaceful and lawful means in resolving disputes and to promptly report early signs of domestic violence to security agencies to prevent avoidable loss of life.
He added that the suspect would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
