— Police detain receptionist, launch manhunt for suspect
By Ike Uchechukwu
CALABAR — The Cross River State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a male guest who allegedly lodged with a female companion, later found dead in a hotel room in Calabar South Local Government Area of the state.
The hotel receptionist has also been detained for questioning as police intensify investigations into the incident.
The incident reportedly occurred at a hotel on Clifford Street, Calabar South.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Sunday Eitokpah, said the matter was reported by the hotel’s director, manager and receptionist on Monday, September 8, 2026, at about 8am.
According to the statement, an unidentified male guest lodged in Room 2 of the hotel on Sunday night with a female companion whose identity has yet to be established.
Eitokpah said the man was allegedly not properly documented at the point of admission.
He explained that the receptionist discovered the woman’s body in the early hours of Monday after noticing that the door to the room was open.
The PPRO said the receptionist, believing that the occupants had checked out, entered the room to switch off the ceiling fan.
“Upon switching on the light, he reportedly discovered the female guest lying unresponsive on the bed,” the statement said.
Eitokpah said investigators who visited the scene observed marks of violence on the victim’s face and neck.
He added that the body had been deposited at the General Hospital, Calabar mortuary, pending autopsy.
According to him, tablets recovered from the victim’s handbag had also been secured as exhibits, although no link between the drugs and her death had been established.
The PPRO said the receptionist was being held to assist the investigation, stressing that his detention should not be construed as a determination of guilt.
Eitokpah said the Commissioner of Police, CP Geoffrey Ordue, had ordered a full-scale and transparent investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, efforts to trace the male guest and establish the identity of the deceased are ongoing.
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