The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old student named Emmanuel Gambo from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in connection with the sad death of a young woman named Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem. Her body, which was decomposing, was found hidden under a hotel bed in Obukpa, Nsukka.
Police spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Tuesday through X (formerly Twitter), stating that the suspect has admitted to the crime.
The victim’s belongings, including her iPhone, were found with him.
Gambo, who is in his second year studying Material and Metallurgical Engineering at UNN, is from Kogi State. He reportedly checked into the hotel with the victim on June 14, 2025, around 9:00 p.m.
According to police investigations, a fight broke out the next morning when the victim asked for an extra ₦15,000 after they had sex again, having already received ₦5,000.
The argument turned violent, and Gambo is said to have strangled the victim to death. He then wrapped her body in a towel and curtain and hid it under the bed.
Hotel staff found the decaying body on June 16 after noticing a bad smell coming from the room.
At first, it was hard to identify the suspect because he checked in using a fake name and gave a phone number that couldn’t be reached.
However, after weeks of investigation, he was arrested at his lodge in Nsukka on July 2.
During questioning, Gambo confessed to the crime. Apart from the recovered iPhone, police also found other items belonging to the victim, like a Redmi tablet, bottle of red wine, a tablet, and earbuds, which the suspect had thrown out of the hotel room window in a bag.
Applauding the hard work of the homicide detectives, Commissioner of police CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa commended the command unwavering commitment to justice and keeping the community safe.
He encouraged parents to keep an eye on their kids and advised youth to avoid bad influences and peer pressure.
The case has now been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State CID further investigation.
