From Othman Salihu

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has revealed the arrest of a 32 years old man who allegedly murdered his lover, aged 39 in mysterious circumstances.

The suspect, Ndifreke Isaiah Nelson was nabbed by operatives of the Command for the alleged murder of his 39 years old girlfriend, Emem Monday Effanga.

According to a statement released by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, the suspect also stole his victim’s mobile phone after the murder.

The text of the statement revealed that the police received a report that the victim, Emem was lying dead in her apartment, February this year in suspicious manner.

The police account said that on reaching the scene of crime, the police noticed visible marks of violence on her face and neck which is a sign of strangulation before she passed on.

The statement read: “Sometime in February 2025, the Command received a report that the deceased was found dead in her apartment under suspicious circumstances.

It added that “Upon arrival at the scene, operatives observed visible marks of violence on her face and neck, suggesting she had been strangled and beaten to death.

The scene was processed, evidence documented, and the body was evacuated to the hospital, where she was confirmed clinically dead by medical personnel.

The corpse was thereafter deposited at the mortuary for preservation and autopsy”, it affirmed.

According to the police, it immediately drafted its officers to investigate the murder and those responsible for it.

“Following swift investigations, detectives traced the last person seen with the deceased to be Ndifreke Isaiah Nelson, who had visited her residence on 6th February 2025, the morning of his birthday.

The suspect was later tracked to a church in Uyo, where he attempted to escape upon sighting police operatives but was swiftly pursued and apprehended.

When questioned, the suspect confessed that he visited the victim that morning and requested to use her phone to take pictures for his birthday celebration to place on social media.

Going by his narration, a struggle ensued arising from her refusal to lend him the phone, during which he overpowered her.

Ndifreke confessed he strangled Emem with his hands, and struck her head on the floor with fist blows, leaving her unconscious before fleeing with her phone.

The police recovered one Itel Super Phone, belonging to the deceased from the suspect at the time of arrest.

“A post-mortem examination has been conducted, and the cause of death has been officially documented by a pathologist. The suspect will be charged to court.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, fsi has assured that justice will be served and warned against all forms of domestic violence and criminal acts.

He charged the general public to remain security conscious and report suspicious activities to the police.”