The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Emmanuel Gambo, for allegedly killing a young lady identified as Deborah Sam‑Praise Ememem, during a hotel encounter that turned bloody over an additional N15,000 payment for sex.
Gambo, a 200-level student of Metallurgical and Material Engineering from Kogi State, was tracked and arrested on July 2 at a lodge in Nsukka after weeks of investigation.
He was accused of strangulating Ememem, also a UNN undergraduate, during a heated altercation inside a hotel room in the Obukpa area of Nsukka.
According to police findings, the suspect had checked into the hotel with the victim around 9:18 p.m. on June 14 under a false identity. After their first sexual encounter, he allegedly paid her N5,000. However, following a second round, Ememem demanded an additional N15,000 , a request that reportedly triggered a fatal disagreement.
“Angered by her demand, he turned violent and forcefully held her down, choking her to death,” police said in a statement.
The body of the victim was discovered by hotel staff on the morning of June 16, after a foul smell began emanating from the room. Investigators found her lifeless body hidden under the bed, wrapped in a bloody bedsheet, a torn curtain, and a towel.
The suspect fled the scene, but detectives used surveillance footage and forensic clues to trace him.
Upon arrest, he confessed to the crime and led investigators to where he had dumped the victim’s bag and her valuables out of the hotel window. Items recovered include Ememem’s iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and a bottle of red wine she had brought to the hotel.
Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, condemned the incident and assured the public of justice. He also used the opportunity to warn youths against reckless behavior. To parents, he told to infuse good morals in their children and wards.
“As a student, it is very important to do exactly what you are sent to do in school and that is to study. This incident is yet another clarion call on all and sundry to be wary of who they relate or go out with, especially young persons. It also brings to the fore the need for all parents to pay closer attention to the activities of their children or wards, both in and out of school,” CP Uzuegbu stated.
The case has since been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Enugu, for full investigation and prosecution.
