The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old male suspect in connection with the brutal murder of Miss Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, whose body was discovered in a hotel room in Obukpa, Nsukka. The suspect, identified as Emmanuel Gambo, a second-year student of Material and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), was apprehended following an intensive intelligence-led investigation.
In a press statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the arrest was made on July 2, 2025, after detectives tracked the suspect to his residence in Nsukka. The suspect reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation and led investigators to the recovery of several of the deceased’s belongings, including her iPhone, a Redmi tablet, earbuds, and a bottle of red wine.
According to the police, Gambo and the deceased had checked into a hotel in Obukpa on the night of June 14, 2025. Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident occurred in the early hours of June 15 following a dispute between the pair. The disagreement reportedly arose after a second round of sexual activity, during which the deceased demanded an additional ₦15,000, on top of the ₦5,000 earlier paid by the suspect. The altercation turned violent, culminating in the suspect strangling the young woman to death.
The suspect allegedly wrapped the victim’s body in a towel and a curtain torn from the hotel room and concealed it beneath the bed. It wasn’t until June 16, when hotel staff noticed a foul odour emanating from the room, that the decomposing body was discovered. Efforts to identify the suspect were initially hindered by the use of a false name and an unreachable phone number provided at check-in.
Despite these challenges, detectives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (State CID), who took over the case from Nsukka Urban Police Division, followed up with meticulous investigative work. Their efforts led to the eventual arrest of Gambo and the recovery of key exhibits. The suspect had thrown some of the deceased’s possessions out of the hotel window in an attempt to evade detection.
Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, psc, commended the police team for their diligence and professionalism in solving the case. He assured the public that justice would be served and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to upholding law and order across the state.
In his remarks, CP Giwa also urged parents and guardians to maintain close supervision of their children and wards, while warning young people to resist the lure of immoral lifestyles and negative peer pressure that often lead to tragic outcomes.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue, and the case is expected to be charged to court upon conclusion of the inquiry.