Police arrest four over mob killing of youth

Etim Ekpimah

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspects over the alleged mob killing of a 21-year-old man, Emmanuel Effiong, whose body was buried in a shallow grave after he was reportedly beaten to death over allegations of theft.

Police spokesperson DSP Timfon John, in a statement on Saturday, said the victim’s remains had been exhumed and deposited in a morgue for an autopsy as investigations continue.

According to the police, the investigation began on June 17, 2026, after the Command received credible intelligence and a viral video showing the victim being brutally assaulted. In the footage, the deceased was seen lying in a pool of blood with his hands and legs tied before being dragged along the ground beside a white Mitsubishi pick-up van.

The suspects arrested are David Okon, also known as Ita, 45; Joseph Gibson, 39; Essien Solomon, 23; and Imoh Asuquo, 28.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was accused of stealing chickens and eggs from a poultry farm in Mbak 4 Community, Uyo Local Government Area.

Rather than handing him over to the police, the suspects allegedly attacked him on April 19, 2026, beating him 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 about two days, and later transported it 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 roles in the killing and led investigators to the burial site, where the victim’s remains were exhumed.

Investigators also recovered a Mitsubishi pick-up van, a wheelbarrow allegedly used to transport the corpse, and weapons suspected to have been used in the attack.

Commissioner of Police Baba Mohammed Azare condemned the killing, describing jungle justice as a serious criminal offence with no place in a civilised society.

He stressed that no individual has the right to assault or kill a suspect, noting that anyone accused of a crime must be handed over to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution.

Azare warned that the Command would continue to track down and prosecute all those involved in mob violence, extrajudicial killings and related offences, regardless of their status. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and ensuring that perpetrators of criminal acts face justice.