Hotel Murder: UNN Distances Itself from Suspect, Rejects Police Claim

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has officially disowned a man arrested in connection with the murder of a young woman in a hotel, contradicting earlier claims made by the Enugu State Police Command that both the suspect and the victim were students of the university.

On June 15, 2025, 24-year-old Deborah Sam‑Praise Ememem was reportedly murdered in a hotel room in Nsukka. The police arrested a 22-year-old man identified as Emmanuel Gambo in connection with the incident. In a public statement following the arrest, the police described Gambo as a student of the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at UNN.

However, in a statement issued on July 21, 2025, UNN’s management, through its Public Relations Officer, Agha Inya, strongly refuted the police’s claim. The university stated that there is no record of any student named Emmanuel Gambo in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering or within the Faculty of Engineering at large. The statement described the police report as false and misleading, stressing that the suspect is not and has never been a student of the institution.

The university further condemned the error as a gross misrepresentation that unfairly damages its reputation and misleads the public. UNN urged the police and media outlets to exercise due diligence in verifying information before publication, particularly when such reports have the potential to tarnish the image of credible institutions.

As investigations into the tragic incident continue, the university has made it clear that it is not connected in any way to the suspect or the crime.