The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Emmanuel Gambo, for the alleged murder of Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, who was found dead in a hotel room in Obukpa, Nsukka, on June 16, 2025.

The Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Monday said Gambo was tracked and arrested on July 2 at his lodge in Nsukka following an intelligence-led investigation.

Ndukwe said 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 UNN, checked into a hotel in Obukpa, Nsukka, with the deceased.

"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 ₦15,000 from the suspect, on top of the ₦5,000 earlier paid. The disagreement turned violent, and the suspect strangled her to death,” Ndukwe disclosed.

Ndukwe added that Gambo then wrapped the deceased’s body in a towel and a curtain torn from the hotel room and hid it under the bed and 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 policeman also disclosed that during interrogation, Gambo confessed to the crime and led detectives to recover more of the victim’s belongings, which he had thrown out the hotel window in a bag after the incident.

"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. 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 Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, psc, assured the public of the Command’s commitment to ensuring justice, security, and the rule of law.

Giwa also urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and wards and cautioned young people against indulging in social vices and succumbing to negative peer pressure.