Police arrest UNN student for strangling woman over ₦15,000 dispute

The Enugu State Police have arrested Emmanuel Gambo, a 22-year-old second-year Material and Metallurgical Engineering student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in connection with the murder of Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem. Her decomposing body was found hidden under a hotel bed in Obukpa, Nsukka.

According to the police, Gambo checked into the hotel with Deborah on the evening of June 14, 2025. Early the next morning, a dispute arose after a second round of intimacy when Deborah demanded an additional ₦15,000 from Gambo, on top of the ₦5,000 he had already paid. The argument escalated, and Gambo strangled her to death. He then wrapped her body in a towel and a torn curtain and hid it beneath the bed.

Hotel staff discovered the foul smell coming from the room on June 16, leading to the discovery of her body. Gambo had registered under a fake name and unreachable phone number, initially making it difficult to track him down.

After weeks of investigation, the police arrested him at his lodge in Nsukka on July 2. During questioning, he confessed to the murder and led officers to recover Deborah’s iPhone, as well as other belongings she brought to the hotel, including a bottle of red wine, her tablet, and earbuds some of which he had thrown out of a window.

The Police Commissioner praised the homicide team for their work and emphasized the command’s commitment to justice and public safety. He also urged parents to watch over their children and warned young people against falling into harmful behaviors and influences.