UNN Student nabbed for Allegedly Killing Girlfriend Over sex Payment Dispute

 A 22-year-old woman, Deborah Sam-Praise Ememem, has been gruesomely murdered in a hotel room in Nsukka, Enugu State, following a dispute over payment for sex, in an incident that has shocked the university community and drawn widespread condemnation.

 

According to the Enugu State Police Command, the prime suspect, Emmanuel Gambo, a second-year student of Material and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), was arrested in connection with the killing after a week-long manhunt.

 

The tragedy reportedly occurred on the night of 14 June 2025, when Gambo checked into a hotel in Obukpa, Nsukka, under a false identity, accompanied by the Kogi State-born victim. Police investigations revealed that an argument erupted between the pair after the deceased allegedly demanded an additional ₦15,000 from Gambo, having earlier received ₦5,000.

 

Spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the altercation escalated into violence when Gambo refused to meet the demand. He allegedly strangled Deborah to death, then wrapped her body in a towel and curtain torn from the room and concealed it beneath the bed.

 

The suspect then fled the scene, taking with him the victim’s iPhone, tablet, earbuds and other personal items.

 

Hotel staff discovered the decomposing body two days later, on 16 June, after a foul odour began to seep from the room. The case was initially handled by the Nsukka Urban Police Division but was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further probing.

 

Ndukwe explained that Gambo’s use of a false name and unreachable contact details delayed his apprehension. However, following what police described as “credible and painstakingly gathered intelligence,” he was arrested at his university lodge on 2 July.

 

During interrogation, Gambo reportedly confessed to the killing. He also led police to recover the stolen items, including the deceased’s Redmi tablet and earbuds, which he had thrown out of the hotel window in a bag after committing the act. A bottle of red wine the victim brought to the hotel was also found in his possession.

 

The suspect is expected to be arraigned in court following the conclusion of investigations. Police say the matter will be treated as a homicide and have promised that justice will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.

 

The horrific incident has raised serious concerns over student safety, gender-based violence, and transactional relationships within university communities.

 

Authorities at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, are yet to release an official statement on the incident.