From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Emmanuel Gambo, in connection with the gruesome murder of a young lady, Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, in a hotel room in Nsukka.
Quoting a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, on Monday, the police said: “Following an intensive, diligent, and intelligence-led investigation, detectives have arrested the male suspect in the murder of one Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem (female, aged 22), who was recently found dead in a hotel room in Nsukka.
“Her iPhone, tablet, earbuds, and other personal belongings were also successfully recovered. The 22-year-old male suspect, Emmanuel Gambo, hails from Kogi State.”
“Findings revealed that on June 14, 2025, at about 9:00 p.m., the suspect, a second-year student of Material and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), checked into a hotel in Obukpa, Nsukka, with the deceased,” the statement read.
It added: “In the early hours of June 15, 2025, a dispute ensued after a second round of intercourse, during which the deceased allegedly demanded an additional N15,000 from the suspect, on top of the N5,000 earlier paid. The disagreement turned violent, and the suspect strangled her to death.”
According to the police, the suspect attempted to cover his tracks by hiding the body under the bed after wrapping it in a towel and curtain from the hotel room.
“On June 16, 2025, at about 9:00 a.m., hotel staff noticed a foul odour coming from the room. Upon investigation, the decomposing body was discovered concealed beneath the bed.
“The suspect had provided a false name and unreachable phone number on the hotel’s registration form, which initially hindered efforts to trace and arrest him,” the statement said.
However, after days of painstaking investigation, the suspect was eventually tracked to his lodge in Nsukka and arrested on July 2.
“Acting on credible and painstakingly gathered intelligence, the police detectives located and arrested the suspect at his lodge in Nsukka on July 2, 2025. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.
“The deceased’s iPhone was immediately recovered from him. A bottle of Asconi Agor red wine, which the deceased had brought to the hotel, was also found in his possession,” police said.
Gambo later led investigators to recover other items belonging to the deceased.
“He later led detectives to recover the deceased’s Redmi tablet and earbuds, which he had thrown out through the hotel window in a bag after committing the crime,” the statement added.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Giwa, commended the detectives for their professionalism and swift action.
The CP also used the opportunity to advise parents and guardians to monitor their children closely and urged youths to steer clear of social vices.
