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 murder of a fellow undergraduate, 22-year-old Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem.
The tragic incident, which occurred in a hotel in Obukpa, Nsukka, has sent shockwaves through the university community and beyond.
Parading the suspect on Monday, the spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, revealed that the arrest was the result of a thorough, intelligence-led investigation by the command’s detectives.
According to the police, Gambo, a second-year student of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from Kogi State, checked into the hotel with the victim on the evening of June 14. By the following morning, a dispute over payment reportedly erupted between them.
“The suspect confessed that after a second round of sexual intercourse, the deceased demanded an extra N15,000 on top of the N5,000 he had already given her. The argument became heated, and he strangled her to death,” Ndukwe stated.
In a bid to conceal the crime, the suspect reportedly wrapped Ememem’s body in a towel and a curtain torn from the room and hid her remains beneath the bed.
The body was discovered on June 16 after hotel staff detected a foul smell emanating from the room.
Police investigations revealed that Gambo had checked in using a false identity and unreachable contact details, initially frustrating efforts to track him down.
However, acting on credible intelligence, detectives traced Gambo to his lodge in Nsukka, where he was apprehended on July 2.
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Items belonging to the deceased, including her iPhone, Redmi tablet, earbuds, and a bottle of red wine she had brought to the hotel, were recovered from the suspect.
According to Ndukwe, Gambo admitted to throwing some of the items out of the hotel window in a bag following the crime.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Giwa, commended the officers involved in the investigation and reiterated the police command’s dedication to delivering justice.
“This case is a reminder of the importance of vigilance among young people,” Giwa said, urging parents and guardians to monitor their children closely and cautioning youths against destructive lifestyles and negative peer pressure.
Gambo remains in police custody as further investigations continue, and the authorities promise to charge him to court promptly.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is yet to release an official statement on the matter.