A 51-year-old man has allegedly killed his cousin in the university town of Nsukka, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria’s South-east.
The suspect, Emeka Nwangwu, was said to have attacked the victim, Uloma Nwangwu, 19, at a pharmacy shop before she died.
The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Tuesday, said the incident happened on Monday.
Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said Mr Nwangwu, who is a member of a Neighbourhood Watch in the area, has been arrested over the incident.
How it started
The police spokesperson said, on 28 November, which was three days before the tragic incident, the deceased filed a complaint to the police accusing the suspect of allegedly abducting, raping her continuously, and threatening her life.
Mr Ndukwe said the deceased made the report at the Umabor Divisional Police Headquarters in the state.
“She alleged that she had been living with the suspect since 2019, at age 13, after the death of his wife, and that he had restricted her communication with family and friends and subjected her to sexual abuse,” he said.
The police spokesperson said the deceased attempted to run to her family home in Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North LGA, but the suspect allegedly threatened her with a firearm, forcing her back to his residence in Ibeku-Opi, Nsukka LGA, where she was locked up in a room.
“She later escaped using a spare key and reported the incident to the police, who issued her a medical report form for examination.
“The suspect and family were invited to the station, where he confessed, sought forgiveness, and promised to return her property,” Mr Ndukwe said.
“The family, citing personal ties, initially chose not to prosecute the case but opted for spiritual cleansing due to the incestuous and abominable act against the victim.”
The police spokesperson said the deceased was subsequently attacked by the suspect at a pharmacy shop in Nsukka while she was receiving treatment.
“Tragically, while receiving treatment at a pharmacy in Nsukka, the suspect forced his way in, assaulted her, and struck her head repeatedly on the floor, causing fatal injuries.
“The victim was taken to the hospital, where her death was confirmed and her remains deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy. The suspect was rearrested and is in police custody,” he said.
Mr Ndukwe said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Bitrus Giwa, has condemned the incident, describing the killing as “cruel.”
Mr Giwa commiserated with the family of the deceased and assured them that justice would prevail in the case.
The commissioner directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the case “meticulously” and then prosecute the suspect accordingly.
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Rape, threat to life allegations
PREMIUM TIMES has obtained a video clip in which the deceased was heard reporting that the suspect threatened to kill her and all her family members if she escaped from his house.
“He (the suspect) said that if I go back to my father’s house in Enugu Ezike, that he will kill me and kill my mother, my brother schooling in Abuja and even our first born.
“He said the police would not do anything to him,” she narrated in a place believed to be a police facility.
In another clip recorded along a bushy path, the deceased said the suspect had been sexually abusing her in his house and threatening to kill her if she told anyone about it.
