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.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Uyo on Thursday.
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.
According to the police spokesperson, the vigilant operative confronted the suspects.
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.
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.
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.
