By Prosper Mene
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested Emmanuel Gambo, a 22-year-old 200-level student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), in connection with the alleged murder of Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, a 22-year-old female student, found dead in a hotel room in Obukpa, Nsukka, on June 16, 2025.
According to a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Monday, July 7, 2025, Gambo, a second-year student in the Department of Material and Metallurgical Engineering and a native of Kogi State, was apprehended on July 2 at his student lodge in Nsukka following an intelligence-led investigation. The case, initially reported to the Nsukka Urban Police Division, was transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for thorough investigation.
Police findings revealed that on June 14, 2025, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Gambo checked into a hotel in Obukpa, Nsukka, with the deceased, using a false name and an unreachable phone number. In the early hours of June 15, a dispute reportedly arose after a second round of intercourse, during which Ememem allegedly demanded an additional ₦15,000, on top of the ₦5,000 previously paid. The disagreement escalated into violence, and Gambo allegedly strangled Ememem to death.
Following the act, Gambo reportedly wrapped the deceased’s body in a towel and a curtain torn from the hotel room, concealing it under the bed. He also discarded her Redmi tablet and earbuds in a bag through the hotel window. On June 16, at about 9:00 a.m., hotel staff detected a foul odor emanating from the room and discovered the decomposing body, prompting a police report.
Despite initial challenges in tracing the suspect due to his false registration details, police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, arrested Gambo. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime, and police recovered Ememem’s iPhone and a bottle of Asconi Agor red wine she had brought to the hotel. Gambo later led detectives to retrieve the discarded tablet and earbuds.The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the detectives for their diligent work and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ensuring justice, security, and the rule of law. He also urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and cautioned young people against engaging in social vices or succumbing to negative peer pressure.
The suspect has been transferred to the State CID’s Homicide Section for further investigation and possible prosecution. The incident has garnered widespread fear within the UNN community, with calls for increased safety measures and awareness among students.
