Friday, August 7, 2026 - The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery in Uyo, Elijah Edet and one Nsikak Effiong for exhuming a freshly buried corpse and stealing the casket.
The spokesperson for the command, Timfon John, disclosed
this in a statement on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
According to the PPRO, the incident was uncovered on August
3 after a vigilant resident spotted two men transporting a casket on an
unregistered motorcycle at night.
In an attempt to evade arrest, one of the suspects,
identified as Effiong Asuquo, fled the scene, while his accomplice, Nsikak
Effiong, was apprehended and immediately handed over to the police.
Effiong confessed that he and an accomplice, Asuquo, dug up
the grave, removed the corpse, and stole the casket to sell it.
The stolen casket and motorcycle were recovered, while
further investigations led to the arrest of cemetery manager Elijah Matthew
Edet, who allegedly admitted to conspiring with the grave diggers.
“The incident came to light on 3rd August, 2026, at about
11:30 pm, following a distress call received from a vigilant member of the
public who reported suspicious activities at the cemetery after observing two
men transporting a casket on an unregistered motorcycle under the cover of
darkness,” the statement read.
"Acting on the suspicion, the complainant confronted
the suspects to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the movement of the
casket at such an unusual hour.
"In an attempt to evade arrest, one of the suspects,
identified as Effiong Asuquo, fled the scene, while his accomplice, Nsikak
Effiong, was apprehended and immediately handed over to the police.
"During interrogation, Nsikak Effiong confessed that he and his accomplice had unlawfully exhumed a freshly buried corpse, removed the corpse from the casket, and stolen the casket with the intention of selling it for financial gain.
"The police recovered the empty casket as well as the unregistered motorcycle used in conveying the stolen property, while investigations were immediately expanded to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the crime and identify all persons connected to the act.
"Further investigation yielded another breakthrough on
5th August, 2026, at about 5:00 pm, with the arrest of one Elijah Matthew Edet,
the manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery.
“During interrogation, the suspect admitted to conspiring
with the grave diggers in the commission of the offence and stated that it was
his first involvement in such criminal activity.”
The PPRO said that the state Commissioner of Police, Baba
Azare, had condemned the incident as barbaric, sacrilegious and a gross
violation of the dignity of dead.
The CP further directed that the investigation be
comprehensive, intelligence-driven, and professionally conducted to ensure that
every individual connected with the crime is identified, arrested and
prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The CP also commended the vigilance, courage and sense of
civic responsibility demonstrated by the vigilante officer, whose prompt
intervention and report were instrumental in foiling the suspects’ attempt to
escape with the stolen casket.
The police boss urged residents to remain security conscious
and continue to provide timely, credible information to the police.
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