Cemetery Manager, Accomplice Arrested for Uyo Casket Heist

​UYO — A chilling security breach has rattled Akwa Ibom State, where the manager of the Mbiokporo Cemetery in Uyo has been taken into police custody alongside an accomplice for the unlawful exhumation of a freshly buried corpse and the brazen theft of its burial casket.

​The Akwa Ibom State Police Command confirmed the arrests, noting that a massive manhunt is currently underway to capture a third suspect who managed to evade capture under the cover of darkness.

​Midnight Interception Sparks Breakthrough

​The grotesque plot unraveled late in the evening on August 3, 2026. At approximately 11:30 p.m., a vigilant resident passing near the Mbiokporo burial grounds grew suspicious upon spotting two men loading and transporting a heavy casket onto an unregistered motorcycle.

​Recognizing the gross anomaly of such an operation at midnight, the heroic whistleblower confronted the duo. As public pressure mounted, one of the suspects, identified as Effiong Asuquo, bolted into the shadows and fled the scene. However, his cohort, Nsikak Effiong, was successfully cornered, detained, and immediately handed over to responding law enforcement officers.

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​Greed Behind the Grave Desecration

​Upon being subjected to intensive interrogation by detectives, Nsikak Effiong laid bare the grim details of the operation. He confessed that he and his fleeing accomplice had unlawfully dug up a freshly interred body, unceremoniously pulled the corpse from its resting place, and stripped away the casket with the sole objective of reselling it for financial profit.

​Prompted by the revelations, police scouring the area successfully recovered both the empty, desecrated casket and the unregistered motorcycle utilized to ferry the stolen property.

​Further intelligence-led operations deepened the dragnet on August 5, 2026. At about 5:00 p.m., operatives detained Elijah Matthew Edet, the sitting manager of the Mbiokporo Cemetery. During questioning, Edet reportedly cracked, confessing his direct collusion with the rogue grave diggers, though he claimed it marked his maiden voyage into such illicit operations.

​Police Leadership Condemns Sacrilege

​Reacting to the sordid development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, did not mince words. In a strongly worded statement issued through the command, he denounced the crime as barbaric, sacrilegious, and morally reprehensible. He stressed that the act constituted a severe violation of human dignity, the sanctity of burial grounds, and the deeply entrenched cultural and religious values of the society.

​CP Azare issued strict directives for a comprehensive, intelligence-driven investigation to ensure every single individual linked to the desecration is brought to book. He also reserved high praise for the courage and civic duty displayed by the civilian complainant, whose prompt alert shattered the criminals’ escape plans.

​Urging residents across the state to maintain heightened security vigilance, the police command reiterated its unwavering stance against any behavior that undermines public order and the rule of law. As investigations continue, authorities maintain that the dragnet for the fleeing fugitive, Effiong Asuquo, remains active and uncompromising.