Nigerian Police Under Fire As Man Kills Cousin Weeks After She Reported Sexual Abuse
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is being accused of negligence after a 19‑year-old woman was murdered by her 51‑year‑old maternal cousin, despite having earlier reported alleged sexual abuse to the police.
According to the case details released by the Enugu State Police Command, the suspect, Emeka Emmanuel Nwangwu, was arrested on 1 December 2025 by operatives of the Nsukka Urban Division in collaboration with a local Neighbourhood Watch group. He is accused of murdering Loveth Uloma Nwangwu, his 19‑year‑old cousin.
Weeks earlier, Loveth had reported to the police that she was being sexually abused, defiled, abducted and threatened by the suspect.
The allegation stated that after the death of the suspect’s wife in 2019, Loveth had been living with him. She claimed he restricted her contact with family and friends, isolated her, and subjected her to repeated sexual abuse.
After an attempt to escape, she reportedly went to the family home in Enugu‑Ezike, only to be threatened and taken back to the suspect’s residence in Ibeku‑Opi, Nsukka LGA, at gunpoint.
Upon her report, police reportedly invited both the suspect and the family, collected a medical report form for examination, and the suspect allegedly confessed, seeking forgiveness and promising to return her property.
Despite this confession and the seriousness of the allegations, no prosecution or protective order was enforced. Instead, according to sources, the matter was allowed to be “handled privately.”
Tragically, while receiving treatment at a pharmacy in Nsukka, Loveth was attacked by the suspect. Reports indicate she was struck violently on the head and repeatedly assaulted, sustaining fatal injuries. She was rushed to a hospital, but later pronounced dead; her body has since been deposited in the mortuary pending autopsy.
The suspect, after the murder, was rearrested and remains in police custody.
The Commissioner of Police has publicly condemned the gruesome crime, ordered a full and urgent investigation by the State Criminal Investigation Department (State CID), and pledged that the case will be charged to court “within record time.”
Civil society groups, members of the public and social‑media commentators have heavily criticized the earlier decision by police to release the suspect, describing it as “gross negligence.” Some argue that the tragedy could have been prevented if the police had taken immediate protective action after the initial sexual‑abuse complaint.
Why this case matters
It highlights persistent concerns about systemic failures in the protection and prosecution of sexual‑abuse victims in Nigeria.
It raises questions about police accountability, especially when credible complaints precede further violence.
It underscores the risks victims face when law enforcement opts for informal resolution or “private settlement” over formal prosecution and protection measures.