By The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspects 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 the attack.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued in Uyo on Friday, describing how the young man met his death at the hands of a mob that accused him of theft.
According to the police, Effiong was accused of stealing chickens and eggs on April 19 from a poultry farm located along the Mbak 4 community in Uyo Local Government Area. Rather than hand him over to the appropriate authorities, a group of individuals allegedly set upon him, beating him with sticks and machetes until he died.
John said the command’s investigation was triggered by credible information received by operatives, which was further corroborated by a disturbing video clip of the assault that later went viral on social media. In the footage, the victim is seen lying helplessly in a pool of blood, his hands and legs bound, before being dragged along the ground beside a white Mitsubishi pick-up van.
“Acting swiftly on the intelligence, operatives of the Command began a painstaking investigation which led to the arrest of four principal suspects,” John said, adding that the suspects are believed to be central figures in the killing.
She said detectives also recovered key exhibits linked to the crime, including the Mitsubishi pick-up van allegedly used by the assailants during the offence. The vehicle and other evidence are expected to form part of the case being built against the suspects.
Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, condemned the killing in strong terms, insisting that no one has the right to take the law into their own hands regardless of the allegation against a suspect. He stressed that anyone apprehended for any alleged offence should be handed over to the police or other lawful authorities to allow due process to take its course.
Azare reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting the sanctity of human life across the state, saying officers would continue to pursue and prosecute those responsible for extrajudicial killings and mob violence. Investigations into the case are ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out.
