In the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), police have confirmed the murder of a 22-year-old female student, Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, in a hotel room by a fellow student over a dispute involving additional payment for sex.
The Enugu State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe, revealed in a statement on Monday that the victim was killed after she demanded an extra ₦15,000 from the suspect, Emmanuel Gambo, following a second round of sexual activity. Gambo had earlier paid ₦5,000 for the encounter.
According to the investigation, the suspect—also a 22-year-old second-year student studying Material and Metallurgical Engineering at UNN—checked into a hotel in Obukpa, Nsukka, with Deborah on the night of June 14, 2025. By the early hours of June 15, a disagreement turned violent when Deborah requested additional payment. Gambo allegedly strangled her during the altercation.
He then attempted to cover up the crime by wrapping her body in a towel and a torn hotel curtain, hiding it beneath the bed. Two days later, hotel staff noticed a foul smell coming from the room. Upon inspection, they discovered her decomposing body.
Gambo had registered at the hotel using a false name and unreachable phone number, making initial investigations difficult. However, police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, arrested him at his lodge in Nsukka on July 2. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.
Recovered from the suspect were the victim’s iPhone, a bottle of red wine she had brought to the hotel, and her tablet and earbuds—which Gambo admitted to throwing out the window in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The Commissioner of Police for Enugu State, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, praised the investigative team for swiftly apprehending the suspect and assured the public that justice would be served.
He also issued a strong message to young people: “Avoid social vices and negative peer pressure. Parents and guardians must stay alert to their children’s activities.”
