The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), for the alleged murder of a fellow student, Miss Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, aged 22.
The development was disclosed in a detailed press statement released on Monday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, who said the arrest followed an intelligence-led investigation by the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The suspect, identified as Emmanuel Gambo, a second-year student in the Department of Material and Metallurgical Engineering at UNN and a native of Kogi State, was linked to the death of Ememem, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a hotel room located in the Obukpa area of Nsukka.
According to SP Ndukwe, the case was initially reported at the Nsukka Urban Police Division but was subsequently transferred to the Homicide Section of the State CID for a more thorough investigation.
Preliminary findings revealed that on the night of June 14, 2025, the suspect checked into the hotel with the deceased. In the early hours of June 15, a dispute reportedly broke out between them following a second round of sexual intercourse. Ememem allegedly demanded an additional ₦15,000 from Gambo, on top of ₦5,000 that had been previously paid.
The altercation escalated into violence, and Gambo allegedly strangled the young woman to death. In a bid to conceal the crime, he wrapped her body in a towel and a curtain torn from the hotel room, hiding it under the bed.
On the morning of June 16, hotel staff began to notice a foul smell emanating from the room. Upon checking, they discovered the decomposing body of the victim concealed beneath the bed.
Investigations were initially hindered by the suspect’s use of a false name and unreachable phone number in the hotel’s registration records. However, with credible intelligence and diligent efforts by the police, Gambo was eventually traced and arrested at his lodge in Nsukka on July 2, 2025.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to the crime. The police recovered several of Ememem’s personal belongings from him, including her iPhone, tablet, and earbuds. A bottle of Asconi Agor red wine, which the deceased had brought to the hotel, was also found in his possession. Gambo further led police detectives to the location where he had disposed of the tablet and earbuds by throwing them out of the hotel window in a bag after the murder.
Commending the efforts of the investigative team, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Mamman Giwa, praised their diligence and assured the public of the command’s dedication to ensuring justice is served.
CP Giwa also used the opportunity to advise parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and wards, while cautioning young people to avoid social vices and resist negative peer pressure.
