Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have apprehended one Nsikak Effiong and the manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery, Elijah Edet, for allegedly conniving to exhume a freshly buried corpse with the intent to sell the casket to make money.
The command’s Public Relations officer, Timfon John, disclosed this to newsmen in Uyo, on Thursday.
She said the incident occurred on August 3, 2026, at about 11:30 pm in Nsit-Ibom, following a distress call from a vigilante operative who reported suspicious activities at the cemetery, adding that he sighted two men conveying a casket on an unregistered motorcycle.
According to the command’s spokesperson, the vigilante operative confronted the suspects.
However, in an attempt to evade arrest, one of the suspects, Effiong Asuquo, fled the scene while his accomplice, Effiong, was apprehended and handed over to the police.
During interrogation, Effiong confessed that he and his accomplice had exhumed a freshly buried corpse, removed the corpse and stole the casket.
The PPRO added that the police have recovered the empty casket and the unregistered motorcycle, noting that investigations have commenced to uncover the circumstances surrounding the crime and identify all persons connected to the act.