How Police Arrest Suspect in the Murder of 4-Year-Old Girl in Enugu State
Authorities in Enugu State, South-East Nigeria, have arrested Nweke Chukwuemeka, accused of the brutal killing of 4-year-old Zinachukwu Ugwu while she slept. The arrest took place following the tragic incident on August 18, 2024, in a compound on Orba Road, Nsukka LGA.
According to DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chukwuemeka, a 30-year-old resident of Umuagu-Ozalla in Nkanu West LGA, lived in the same compound as the victim’s family. Police from the Nsukka Sector of the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad responded to a distress call at 10:30 p.m. reporting the crime.
The child’s body was taken to the hospital, where her death was confirmed, and she was subsequently placed in the mortuary. Investigators recovered a knife used in the murder, suspected cannabis, and an object believed to be a charm from Chukwuemeka.
Initial reports reveal that Chukwuemeka, after an attempted assault on other neighbors, broke into the victim’s home and fatally attacked the sleeping child. This occurred while the child’s mother had briefly left to secure her other children.
The suspect admitted to the crime, stating he was under the influence of methamphetamine, locally known as “Mkpuru-mmiri,” and Action Bitters. He also confessed to being affiliated with the Vikings Confraternity and revealed that in 2022, while in Jos, Plateau State, he had participated in a cult conflict where he killed a rival cult member.
The police plan to charge Chukwuemeka once their investigation is complete.
