The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with the alleged mob killing of 21-year-old Emmanuel Effiong, whose body was exhumed from a shallow grave months after he was reportedly beaten to death over accusations of stealing chickens and eggs.
The Command disclosed the development in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, saying the breakthrough followed an intensive investigation launched on June 17, 2026, after the Command received credible intelligence alongside a viral video showing the victim being brutally assaulted.
According to the statement, the video captured Emmanuel lying in a pool of blood with his hands and legs tied before he was dragged along the ground beside a white Mitsubishi pick-up van.
The police identified the four arrested suspects as David Okon, popularly known as “Ita,” 45; Joseph Gibson, 39; Essien Solomon, 23; and Imoh Asuquo, 28.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Emmanuel was accused of stealing chickens and eggs from a poultry farm in Mbak 4 Community, Uyo Local Government Area, on April 19, 2026.
Rather than handing him over to law enforcement authorities, the suspects allegedly subjected him to severe torture, beating him with sticks and machetes until he died.
Investigators further uncovered that after the killing, the suspects tied the victim’s hands and legs, dragged his body through the community to a junction where it was abandoned for about two days. They allegedly later transported the corpse on a wheelbarrow into a nearby forest and buried it in a shallow grave in an attempt to conceal the crime.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to their individual roles in the incident and subsequently led investigators to the burial site. Police operatives exhumed the victim’s remains, which have since been deposited at the morgue for autopsy.
The Command also recovered several exhibits linked to the crime, including the white Mitsubishi pick-up van allegedly used during the incident, the wheelbarrow used to transport the body, and the weapons suspected to have been used in carrying out the attack.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, strongly condemned the act, describing jungle justice as a grave criminal offence that has no place in a civilized society.
He stressed that no individual or group has the legal authority to assault, torture or kill any person based on mere suspicion, emphasizing that every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The Commissioner urged members of the public to always hand over suspected offenders to security agencies for proper investigation and prosecution, warning that the Command would continue to pursue and prosecute anyone involved in mob violence, extrajudicial killings and other criminal acts.
He reaffirmed the Akwa Ibom State Police Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that all those responsible for criminal offences are brought to justice.
