A 26-year-old man has allegedly killed his 35-year-old girlfriend in Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east.
The suspect, Valentine Anikpe, allegedly stabbed the victim, Ogechukwu Mmadubugwu, to death in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
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Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, in a statement on Sunday said the incident happened at about 12 a.m. on 9 December.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the suspect has been arrested over the incident.
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He said the suspect was arrested on 7 January by operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to stabbing the victim in the neck with a knife, an act that led to her death,” he said.
The police spokesperson said the suspect claimed that he killed the victim, a single mother, over suspicion of infidelity.
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He said the suspect further claimed that the fatal confrontation between him and the victim was due to his bankruptcy and emotional distress as well as failed efforts to establish a business for the victim.
“The suspect also confessed to dropping a fake letter claiming he had been kidnapped by people he owed money, in a bid to mislead investigators and aid his escape from the crime scene,” he stated.
Investigation
Mr Ikenga said the police in the state had begun an investigation into the incident.
He dismissed reports suggesting that the victim was killed by those she owed money, describing such reports as “false and misleading.”
“Meanwhile, as part of ongoing investigative procedures, detectives have visited the mortuary where the deceased’s body was deposited,” he said.
“The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigations.”
Mr Ikenga said the latest incident sparked outrage in the community and also renewed conversations about domestic violence and relationship-related crimes within the area.
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He urged residents of the state to seek “lawful and peaceful” means of resolving disputes and to report early signs of domestic violence to security agencies to prevent avoidable tragedies.
Prohibited in Nigeria
Murder is outlawed in Section 315 (6) of Nigeria Criminal Code Act.
Offenders, on conviction, face death sentence, section 319 (1) said.
Several persons have been convicted for murder.
A high court in Lokoja, Kogi State, in January 2022, sentenced a man, Muritala Dare to death by hanging for stabbing his colleague to death with a broken bottle.
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