From; Abdullahi Inuwa
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspects over the alleged gruesome mob killing of a 21-year-old man, Emmanuel Effiong, whose body was reportedly buried in a shallow grave in an attempt to conceal the crime.
The breakthrough followed a painstaking investigation launched after the Command received credible intelligence on June 17, 2026, alongside a viral video showing the victim being brutally assaulted by a mob.
The disturbing footage allegedly captured the young man 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.
Police identified the arrested suspects as David Okon, alias “Ita,” 45; Joseph Gibson, 39; Essien Solomon, 23; and Imoh Asuquo, 28.
According to investigators, the deceased was accused of stealing chickens and eggs from a poultry farm in Mbak 4 Community, Uyo Local Government Area.
Instead of being handed over to security agencies, he was allegedly attacked by a mob on April 19, 2026, and beaten with sticks and machetes until he died.
Police said the suspects allegedly tied the victim’s hands and legs, dragged his body through the community, abandoned it at a junction for two days, and later transported the corpse on a wheelbarrow into a nearby forest where it was buried in a shallow grave.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to their individual roles in the incident and led detectives to the burial site. The victim’s remains were exhumed and deposited at a morgue for autopsy.
Investigators also recovered key exhibits, including the Mitsubishi pick-up van allegedly used during the incident, the wheelbarrow used to move the corpse, and the weapons suspected to have been used in the attack.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, condemned the killing, describing jungle justice as a serious criminal offence with no place in a civilized society.
He stressed that no citizen has the authority to torture or kill anyone over allegations of wrongdoing, insisting that suspects must always be handed over to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution.
The police boss vowed that everyone connected to mob violence and extrajudicial killings would be tracked down and prosecuted, reaffirming the Command’s commitment to protecting lives, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring justice for victims.
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