By Ekanem Iniko
UYO — The Akwa Ibom State Police Command says it has arrested four men in connection with the brutal mob killing of a 21-year-old man, Emmanuel Effiong, whose body was secretly buried in a shallow grave after he was allegedly lynched over accusations of theft.
According to a press statement issued on July 17, 2026 and signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, the breakthrough followed “credible information received on 17th June, 2026, accompanied by a viral video clip showing the deceased being brutally assaulted by a group of individuals.”
In the disturbing footage, police said, “the victim was seen lying helpless in a pool of blood with his hands and legs tied, before being dragged on the ground beside a white Mitsubishi pick-up van.”
Acting on the intelligence, operatives launched an investigation that led to the arrest of four principal suspects:
– David Okon alias Ita, 45
– Joseph Gibson, 39
– Essien Solomon, 23
– Imoh Asuquo, 28
Police allege that Effiong was accused of stealing chickens and eggs from a poultry farm along Mbak 4 Community in Uyo Local Government Area. Instead of handing him over to authorities, he was subjected to a mob attack on April 19, 2026.
“During the attack, he was beaten with sticks and machetes until he died,” the statement said. Investigators added that the suspects “tied the victim’s hands and legs, dragged his lifeless body through the community to a certain Junction, abandoned it there for about two days, and later transported the corpse on a wheelbarrow into a nearby forest where it was buried in a shallow grave in a deliberate attempt to conceal the crime.”
During interrogation, police said the four suspects “voluntarily confessed to their respective roles in the murder” and led investigators to the burial site in the forest at Mbak 4 Community. The remains were exhumed and deposited at the morgue for autopsy.
Exhibits recovered include the white Mitsubishi pick-up van allegedly used during the offence, the wheelbarrow used to move the body, and the weapons allegedly used in the attack.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, fsi, condemned the killing.
“Jungle justice is a grave criminal offence that has no place in a civilized society,” CP Azare said.
He stressed that due process must be followed in all cases: “No individual or group has the legal authority to assault, torture or take the life of any person under any guise or suspicion. Every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, and anyone apprehended for any alleged offence must be handed over to the Police or other lawful authorities for due process.”
The Commissioner warned that the Command “will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice every individual connected with acts of mob violence, extrajudicial killings and other forms of criminality, irrespective of their status or influence.”
The Police Command said it “remains resolute in its commitment to protecting the sanctity of human life, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that every person responsible for criminal acts is made to face the full weight of the law.”
The suspects are expected to be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
