Death: Ebonyi Police Arrest Hotel Manager, Staff

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, December 16th, 2018

By Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The police in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, South- East Nigeria, on Sunday arrested the Manager and other Staff of 3 Star Crown Garden Hotel, located along the ever-busy Afikpo road in the city for questioning over the discovering of a lifeless body of a yet to be identified middle aged lady inside one of the hotel rooms.

A customer who lodged at the facility and identified himself as Mr. Sylvester Oduma, had drew the attention of the hotel management over an offensive odour that was oozing out of the room next to his own.

He told newsmen that he arrived the hotel on Sunday, paid for a suit and checked into the hotel, “only to observe unpleasant odour oozing out from the next room until it became unbearable.

According to him, “I quickly drew the attention of the management of the hotel to the unpleasant odour and they quickly opened the door and found the lifeless body of a fair lady in the room, possibly she was stabbed to death by her supposed boyfriend identified as “Uchenna Awoke”.

“Immediately, a team of policemen was contacted, on arrival they saw the gory sight, and immediately took the dead body to an undisclosed mortuary.

The suspect was also said to have made away with all the belongings of the deceased including her phone so that he could not be tracked.

Confirming the ugly incident, the Ebonyi state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mrs. Loveth Odah, said that the victim was seen in the pool of her own blood with deep cuts on her chest and neck, adding that the identity of the suspected perpetrator has been uncovered and given as one Uchenna Awoke.

The Ebonyi police Spokesman, added that though the identity of the deceased is yet to be identified, but the hotel manager Mr. Emmanuel Eze, its supervisor and other staff had been taken to the police station for questioning, blaming the incident on negligence on the side of the hotel management.

She said: “The Manager of the hotel, the supervisor and other staff of the hotel were taken to the station for question and I must confess to you that the whole thing is negligence on the part of the hotel management.

“How can a guest be murdered in a hotel room and days after, the management is not aware of the incident”.

“We will investigate the matter properly and I assure you, the perpetrator of the act must be arrested and prosecuted.

“All we are asking is for the members of the public to avail the police of useful information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect”.

Manager of the hotel, Mr. Emmanuel Eze told newsmen that he was on a three days trip when the incident took place, adding that as soon as he was contacted, he immediately got in touch with the police who swiftly came to place and evacuated the corpse from the hotel room.

He said “I was on a three-day journey when the incident took place but as soon as I was informed, I also informed the policemen who immediately went to the scene and evacuated the body of the lady.

Upon my arrival to Abakaliki, I was invited by the police but after making statement, I was granted bail.”

“The unfortunate murder case may not be for ritual purpose as her vital organs were still intact before her evacuation from the hotel.

“Every business has its own challenges, this is one of the hazards of hotel business. I thank God that as at today none of my staff has been linked to the gruesome murder” Mr. Eze stated.