POLICE ARREST CEMETERY MANAGER, GRAVE DIGGER FOR EXHUMING CORPSE, STEALING CASKET IN AKWA IBOM. (PHOTO).

   Police Arrest Cemetery Manager, Grave Digger For Exhuming Corpse, Stealing Casket in Akwa Ibom

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested Nsikak Effiong and the manager of Mbiokporo Cemetery, Elijah Matthew Edet, for allegedly conspiring to exhume a freshly buried corpse and steal the casket for sale.

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

According to the statement, the incident occurred on August 3, 2026, at about 11:30 pm in Nsit-Ibom. A vigilante operative who spotted two men conveying a casket on an unregistered motorcycle under the cover of darkness raised the alarm and confronted the suspects.

One of the men, identified as Effiong Asuquo, fled the scene, while his accomplice, Nsikak Effiong, was apprehended and handed over to the police.

During interrogation, Nsikak Effiong confessed that he and his accomplice had unlawfully dug up a freshly buried corpse, removed the body from the casket and made off with the casket with the intention of selling it for financial gain.

Police recovered the empty casket and the unregistered motorcycle. Investigations were expanded to identify all those involved.

Further inquiries led to the arrest of Elijah Matthew Edet, the cemetery manager, on August 5, 2026, at about 5:00 pm. During questioning, Edet admitted to conspiring with the grave diggers and said it was his first involvement in such an offence. One accomplice remains at large.

State Commissioner of Police Baba Azare condemned the incident as barbaric, sacrilegious and a gross violation of the dignity of the dead. He directed that the investigation be comprehensive, intelligence-driven and professionally conducted to ensure that everyone connected to the crime is identified, arrested and prosecuted.

The commissioner also praised the vigilante officer for his prompt intervention and sense of civic responsibility, which helped foil the suspects’ attempt to escape with the stolen casket.

He urged residents to remain security-conscious and to provide timely, credible information to the police.