January 11, 2026 l Reporter: Johnson
EKWULOBIA, Anambra State — A 26-year-old man has been arrested by the Anambra State Police Command for allegedly murdering his girlfriend and later attempting to mislead investigators by planting a fake kidnapping letter, police confirmed Sunday.
The suspect, Anikpe Valentine Chibuike, was taken into custody on January 7, 2026 by operatives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Awka following investigations into the fatal stabbing of 35-year-old Ogechukwu Mmadubugwu, a single mother from Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area. The killing occurred on December 9, 2025, around midnight at the victim’s residence.
According to the police statement issued by SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Chibuike confessed during interrogation that he stabbed Mmadubugwu in the neck with a knife after becoming suspicious of her alleged infidelity. Authorities said the suspect also told investigators that he had experienced financial distress and mounting debt while trying to establish a business for the victim, a situation that contributed to his emotional breakdown and the fatal confrontation.
In an apparent effort to misdirect law enforcement and escape suspicion, the suspect admitted to planting a fake letter falsely claiming he had been kidnapped by creditors to explain his absence and avoid arrest. Police have dismissed earlier rumours that the murder was carried out by individuals to whom the suspect owed money, describing those claims as false and misleading.
Investigators have also visited the mortuary where the victim’s body was deposited as part of ongoing efforts to gather evidence and piece together the circumstances of the crime. The incident has sparked public outrage and renewed conversations in the community over domestic violence and relationship-related crimes.
The police have urged the public to embrace peaceful and lawful means of resolving disputes and to report early signs of domestic violence to security agencies to prevent such tragedies. Chibuike is expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.