Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested the manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery and a suspected grave digger for allegedly exhuming a freshly buried corpse and stealing its casket for sale.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, saying the incident occurred on the night of August 3, 2026, in Nsit-Ibom Local Government Area.
According to the statement, the suspects were intercepted after a vigilant resident reported seeing two men transporting a casket on an unregistered motorcycle under suspicious circumstances.
The resident confronted the suspects, prompting one of them, identified as Effiong Asuquo, to flee the scene, while the second suspect, Nsikak Effiong, was apprehended and handed over to the police.
During interrogation, Nsikak allegedly confessed that he and his accomplice exhumed a recently buried corpse, removed the body from the casket and planned to sell the casket for financial gain.
The police recovered the stolen casket and the motorcycle allegedly used in carrying it, while detectives launched further investigations into the incident.
The investigation later led to the arrest of the cemetery manager, Elijah Edet, on August 5. Police said he admitted during questioning to conspiring with the grave diggers, claiming it was his first involvement in such an act.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, CP Baba Azare, condemned the incident, describing it as barbaric, sacrilegious and a violation of the dignity of the deceased.
He directed investigators to carry out a thorough and intelligence-led investigation to ensure that everyone connected with the crime is identified, arrested and prosecuted.
The police also commended the vigilance of the resident whose timely report led to the arrest of one of the suspects and the recovery of the stolen casket, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
