Police launch manhunt after man allegedly kills female companion in Calabar hotel

The Cross River State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a man who allegedly lodged in a hotel with a female companion who was later found dead in the room.

The incident reportedly happened at a hotel on Clifford Street in Calabar South Local Government Area of the state.

Following the discovery of the woman’s body, police began investigations to establish what led to her death and identify those responsible.

The hotel receptionist has also been taken into custody for questioning as detectives intensify efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The police are currently searching for the male guest, who is believed to have stayed at the hotel with the deceased before the incident was discovered.

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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