One man still held over death of Malawian

Gardaí last night released one of two men they had arrested as part of an investigation into the death of a Malawian woman whose body was found on a riverbank in Co Kilkenny last month.

The arrests were made yesterday morning following a surveillance operation by gardaí in Dublin city centre.

Both men were interviewed at Store Street and Bridewell Garda stations yesterday. Last night one of the two was released without charge. The other man may be held for up to 72 hours without charge.

The badly decomposed body of Ms Paiche Unyolo-Onyemaechi (25), a daughter of the Chief Justice of Malawi, was found wrapped in plastic bags on the banks of the River Pil on July 23rd last month.

The two men arrested yesterday are both believed to be Nigerian nationals and gardaí are investigating the possibility that one of them may be related to the dead woman's Nigerian-born husband, Mr Chika Onyemaechi (31).

Ms Unyolo-Onyemaechi shared a house in Waterford city with him and their two children. He has not been seen since his wife's body was identified and did not turn up at her funeral.

Gardaí, who have said they are anxious to interview Mr Onyemaechi, have expressed concern for his safety.

The couple's sons Andrew (3) and Anthony (18 months), are to be brought back to Malawi to live with their grandfather, Mr Leonard Unyolo.

Supt Michael Devine of Clonmel Garda station, who is leading the investigation, was in Dublin yesterday as the two men were being questioned.

There are also suggestions that one of the arrested men arrived into the country recently, having travelled from another EU country.

Mr Unyolo earlier this month met the Minister for Justice, Mr Michael McDowell, who offered his assistance to the family.

The family also praised gardaí for their thorough investigation after Ms Unyolo-Onyemaechi's funeral.

Her brother, Mr Leon Unyolo, recently appealed for help from the public in solving the mystery of her death.

He has asked anyone with information on his sister's disappearance from her home in Waterford on July 8th to contact gardaí, clergy or someone in the community at St Herblain Park, Waterford.

She came to Ireland as an asylum-seeker and is understood to have been living here, most recently in Waterford, for about four years. She left Malawi in the late 1990s and went to London to pursue a course in business administration.

While there she met her Nigerian-born husband. She later dropped out of college and moved to Ireland.

Gardaí said the woman died a very violent death. Her head was detached from her body and there were a number of other marks on her body. The investigation has now been switched to Waterford city where extensive house- to-house inquiries have been conducted.

At the funeral Mass of Ms Unyolo-Onyemaechi, the Rev Dr John Parkin pleaded with the congregation for anyone to come forward with information related to Mr Onyemaechi's whereabouts.

He also asked the community "not to indulge in rumours and the spreading of rumours, leave the police conduct their investigation".