Akwa Ibom graveyard overseer, partner arrested for digging up body, stealing coffin

n n

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have apprehended one Nsikak Effiong and the manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery, Elijah Edet, for allegedly conspiring to exhume a freshly buried corpse with the intent to sell the casket for financial gain.

n

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Uyo on Thursday.

n

She said the incident occurred on Monday at about 11:30pm in Nsit-Ibom, following a distress call from a vigilant operative who reported suspicious activities at the cemetery and sighted two men conveying a casket on an unregistered motorcycle under the cover of darkness.

n

According to the police spokesperson, the vigilant operative confronted the suspects.

n

In an attempt to evade arrest, one of the suspects, identified as Effiong Asuquo, fled the scene, while his accomplice, Effiong, was apprehended and handed over to the police.

n

She disclosed that during interrogation, 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.

n

DSP John added that the police had recovered the empty casket and the unregistered motorcycle, noting that investigations had commenced in full to uncover the circumstances surrounding the crime and identify all persons connected to the act.

n

She disclosed that further investigation led to the arrest of the Mbiokporo Cemetery manager on Wednesday at about 5:00pm, adding that during interrogation, the suspect admitted to conspiring with the grave diggers in the commission of the offence, stating that it was his first involvement in such criminal activity.

n

“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.

n

“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.

n

“Further investigation yielded another breakthrough on August 5, 2026, at about 5:00 p.m., 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 statement said.

n

DSP John said the Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, had condemned the incident as barbaric, sacrilegious, morally reprehensible, and a gross violation of the dignity of the dead, and 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.

n

The CP also commended the vigilance, courage, and sense of civic responsibility demonstrated by the vigilant operative, whose prompt intervention and report were instrumental in foiling the suspects’ attempt to escape with the stolen casket.

n

While urging residents to remain security-conscious and continue to provide timely, credible information to the police, the statement noted that the investigation was ongoing, while efforts had been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspect.

n n