The Cross River State Police Command has launched an investigation into the death of an unidentified woman whose body was discovered in a hotel along Clifford Street, Calabar South.
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‎The command’s spokesperson, Eitokpah Sunday Akata, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the incident was reported to the police at about 8:00 p.m. on the same day.
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‎According to Akata, the hotel director reported the incident alongside the manager and the receptionist who was on duty.
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‎He said preliminary findings showed that an unidentified man had checked into Room 2 of the hotel on September 7, 2026, at about 8:00 p.m., accompanied by a woman whose identity remains unknown.
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‎The police spokesperson said the male guest was allegedly not properly documented when he checked into the hotel.
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‎Akata explained that in the early hours of September 8, the receptionist noticed that the door to Room 2 was open. Believing that the occupants had left, the receptionist entered the room to switch off the ceiling fan.
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‎He said the receptionist, after turning on the light, discovered the woman lying unresponsive on the bed.
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‎Police investigators who visited the scene reportedly observed what appeared to be marks of violence on the woman’s face and neck and documented the scene for further investigation.
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‎The deceased was later taken to the General Hospital, Calabar, where she was confirmed dead and deposited in the mortuary pending further investigation and possible medical or forensic examination.
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‎The police also recovered some tablets from the woman’s handbag and kept them as exhibits. Akata stressed that investigators had not established any link between the tablets and the woman’s death.
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‎Meanwhile, the receptionist has been detained for questioning to assist the police in determining how the guests were admitted and what happened before the woman was found dead.
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‎The command cautioned that the receptionist’s detention should not be interpreted as an indication of guilt.
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‎The police have also commenced efforts to identify and locate the unidentified man who reportedly checked into the hotel with the deceased.
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