Police arrest two suspects in the disappearance of a 33‑year‑old woman in Oraifite, Anambra

The Anambra State Police Command has taken into custody two individuals in connection with the disappearance and subsequent murder of a 33‑year‑old woman in Oraifite.

The victim is said to have vanished approximately three months ago.

According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson, the arrests followed the transfer of the case from Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

In a statement released to journalists on Wednesday, Ikenga said, “We have uncovered the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and murder of a 33‑year‑old woman and have arrested two suspects in connection with the crime in Oraifite.”

The suspects are both male: Thankgod Ikechukwu Ikwugwara, 26, and Makuochukwu Uzoigwe, 20.

The case began on 13 March 2026 when the victim’s mother reported her missing at the Oraifite Divisional Police Headquarters. The next day, on 14 March 2026, the lifeless body of an unidentified female was found inside a culvert near Jesus Bus Stop, Oraifite. The victim’s father later identified the body as that of his missing daughter.

After the case was transferred to the SCID in Awka for a comprehensive investigation, investigators used intelligence and digital forensic leads to arrest the two suspects on 6 June 2026.

Ikenga said the suspects have confessed to the crime. One of them, Thankgod Ikechukwu Ikwugwara, claimed he was in a relationship with the victim and was responsible for her murder.

He stated, “During interrogation, the principal suspect, Thankgod Ikechukwu Ikwugwara, confessed to the murder. He said he had been in a relationship with the deceased for about three years and claimed he was unaware that she was married. He further alleged that after a disagreement with the deceased’s husband, he developed a strange illness that affected his sight, and out of resentment, he plotted the attack.”

The suspect also admitted that on 13 March 2026 he lured the victim to his residence under the pretext of seeking help due to illness. Upon her arrival, he and the second suspect allegedly attacked her with a machete, killing her. The suspects then disposed of the body in a culvert near Jesus Bus Stop, Oraifite, in the early hours of the following day.

Both suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crime and will be charged in court after the investigations conclude.