Authorities in Enugu State have arrested a 22-year-old student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Emmanuel Gambo, in connection with the brutal killing of a young woman whose decomposing body was found concealed beneath a hotel bed last month.
The suspect, a second-year student of Material and Metallurgical Engineering, was apprehended on July 2, 2025, following weeks of intensive investigation by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
According to the Enugu State Police Command, the victim, 22-year-old Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, was discovered dead on June 16 in a hotel room in Obukpa, Nsukka.
Hotel staff raised alarm after perceiving a strong stench emanating from the room, which had been vacated by the suspect two days earlier.
Police spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, stated that Gambo had checked into the hotel on June 14 using false identification and an unreachable phone number, making it initially difficult to trace him.
Investigations revealed that the suspect and the victim were involved in a sexual encounter, during which a dispute reportedly arose when the deceased demanded an additional ₦15,000 after earlier receiving ₦5,000.
The argument allegedly turned violent, leading Gambo to strangle her.
In a bid to conceal the crime, Gambo allegedly wrapped the victim’s body in a towel and curtain, then hid it under the bed before fleeing.
He also attempted to destroy evidence by discarding some of her personal items, including a tablet and earbuds, out of the hotel room window.
Her iPhone was later recovered from his possession.
The suspect was eventually tracked down and arrested at his lodge in Nsukka.
During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to the crime and led investigators to retrieve key pieces of evidence, including a bottle of red wine which the victim had brought to the hotel.
Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, praised the swift action of the CID team and reiterated the Command’s commitment to justice.
He urged parents to closely monitor their children and cautioned youths against engaging in reckless and criminal behaviour.
Gambo remains in police custody and will be formally charged in court upon conclusion of the investigation.
Reporting by Niran Odufayo