The Enugu State Police Command has arrested 51-year-old Emmanuel Nwangwu for allegedly killing his 19-year-old maternal cousin, Loveth Uloma Nwangwu.

The incident was said to have taken place at a pharmacy shop in Umuabor community, Nsukka Local Government Area of the state, where the deceased had gone to seek medication.

It was gathered that Emmanuel, a member of the Neighbourhood Watch in the area, who lost his wife in 2019, had pleaded and taken custody of Loveth, then 13 years old, to assist him in his house while he caters to her schooling.

Instead of training her in school as promised to her parents, Emmanuel had allegedly subjected her to frequent sexual abuse and restricted her from communicating with her family members.

Emmanuel was alleged to have always locked her in the house and threatened to kill her parents and siblings should she attempt to report their escapades or escape from the house.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, who gave further details about the incident, stated that Loveth had escaped last month to the Umuabor Police Station and reported a case of defilement, sexual abuse, abduction, and threat to life against the suspect on November 28, 2025.

“After attempting to escape to her family home in Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North LGA, 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. 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”, he said

Ndukwe added that, 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”.

He said that the suspect was rearrested and is in police custody, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has condemned the crime and the cruel manner in which it was committed.

He said the commissioner assured the public that justice would be served, adding that he has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the case meticulously and ensure that it was charged in court within record time.