The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested 32-year-old Ndifreke Isaiah Nelson for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Emem Monday Effanga, 39, in her apartment.

Effanga was found dead under suspicious circumstances in February 2025. Upon arrival at the crime scene, investigators observed visible marks of violence on her face and neck, suggesting she had been strangled. The body was later confirmed dead at an undisclosed hospital and subsequently deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

Police spokesperson Timfon John, in a statement on Monday, confirmed that detectives traced the last person seen with Effanga to be Nelson, who had visited her residence on February 6—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,” John stated.

During interrogation, Nelson reportedly confessed to killing Effanga after she refused to let him use her phone to take birthday photos for social media. In a struggle that ensued, he allegedly strangled her and struck her head on the floor before fleeing with her phone.

The police recovered the stolen Itel Super Phone from Nelson at the time of his arrest. A postmortem examination has since confirmed the cause of death, and the case has been charged to court.

Authorities have assured the public that justice will be served as the investigation progresses.