The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested two suspects, including the manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery, for the alleged exhumation of a freshly buried corpse and theft of the casket.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Uyo on Thursday. According to the police, the incident occurred on August 3, 2026, at approximately 11:30 p.m., following a distress call from a vigilant resident. The complainant reported observing two men transporting a casket on an unregistered motorcycle within the cemetery grounds at an unusual hour.
Acting on the suspicion, the resident confronted the pair. In the ensuing encounter, one suspect, identified as Effiong Asuquo, fled the scene, while his accomplice, Nsikak Effiong, was apprehended and handed over to the police.
During interrogation, Nsikak Effiong reportedly confessed that he and his fleeing partner had unlawfully exhumed a recently interred corpse, removed the body from the casket, and stole the coffin with the intention of selling it for financial gain. Police recovered the empty casket and the unregistered motorcycle used in the operation. Investigations were immediately expanded to identify all individuals connected to the crime.
That probe yielded a second major arrest on August 5, 2026, at about 5:00 p.m., when detectives detained Elijah Matthew Edet, the manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery. During questioning, Edet allegedly admitted to conspiring with the cemetery’s grave diggers to facilitate the offence, stating it was his first involvement in such criminal activity.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, has condemned the incident, describing it as barbaric, sacrilegious, and morally reprehensible. He characterized the act as a gross violation of the dignity of the dead, the sanctity of burial grounds, and the cultural and religious values of the society.
Police authorities say efforts are being intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspect, Effiong Asuquo, as the investigation continues.
