The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspects over the alleged murder of a 21-year-old man, Emmanuel Effiong, whose body was exhumed from a shallow grave following an investigation into the incident.
The command said the arrests followed an investigation launched on June 17, 2026, after it received credible intelligence and a viral video showing the victim being brutally assaulted.
Effiong was allegedly lynched over accusations of stealing chickens and eggs from a poultry farm in Mbak 4 Community, Uyo Local Government Area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, disclosed in a statement on Friday that the suspects were identified as David Okon, popularly known as “Ita,” 45; Joseph Gibson, 39; Essien Solomon, 23; and Imoh Asuquo, 28.
According to the statement, investigations revealed that the victim was attacked by a mob on April 19, 2026, instead of being handed over to the police. He was allegedly beaten with sticks and machetes until he died.
The police said the suspects tied Effiong’s hands and legs before dragging his body through the community and abandoning it at a junction for about two days. They were later said to have transported the corpse on a wheelbarrow into a nearby forest, where it was buried in a shallow grave in an attempt to conceal the crime.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to their individual roles in the incident and subsequently led investigators to the burial site. The victim’s remains were exhumed and deposited in a morgue for an autopsy.
Police also recovered several exhibits linked to the incident, including a white Mitsubishi pick-up van allegedly used during the attack, the wheelbarrow used to transport the body and the weapons suspected to have been used in the assault.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Azare, condemned the killing, describing jungle justice as a criminal act with no place in a civilised society.
He stressed that no individual has the legal authority to assault or kill another person based on mere suspicion, adding that every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Azare urged residents to hand over suspected offenders to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution, warning that the command would ensure everyone involved in mob violence and other criminal acts is brought to justice.