NIGERIAN CLERIC GOES INTO HIDING AFTER MUMMIFIED BODY FOUND AT CHURCH PROPERTY

A Nigerian cleric, Kedi Samuel Kenechukwu, also known as Ekedi Samuel, has gone into hiding after Cameroonian authorities discovered a mummified body buried beneath a concrete slab at a property linked to his church in Yaoundé. The body was found on September 19 at about 9am by officers from the Nkoabang Special Police Station during an investigation involving the cleric, who founded Mercy of God Ministry and is wanted over allegations including human trafficking, arrest and kidnapping.

Investigators reportedly uncovered a white-and-gold coffin buried about 1.5 metres below the concrete slab at the Nkoabang property. The remains inside were described as being in a mummified state and appeared to be those of a woman dressed in a traditional blue outfit decorated with gold embroidery. Authorities said the circumstances of the burial were unclear, while the identity of the deceased and the cause of death had not been established at the time of the report.

The discovery followed damage to parts of the property by residents, after which investigators examined the site and uncovered the concealed underground area. Security officials were reportedly awaiting authorisation to conduct additional searches of the property to determine whether other remains or evidence could be found. The latest discovery came about 10 days after another search of the same Nkoabang premises on September 9, during which investigators found five vehicles, several hundred kilogrammes of food, functioning freezers and about 30 rooms.

Investigators also discovered a pit measuring about two metres deep during the September 9 operation, although its purpose was not immediately known. The Nkoabang investigation itself followed an earlier security operation at another property associated with Mercy of God Ministry in Ngousso, Yaoundé, on September 6. During that operation, security personnel reportedly found 20 people, comprising 10 women, eight men and two children aged six and seven, inside a basement at the property.

Kenechukwu remains at large as Cameroonian authorities continue efforts to locate him, with border police reportedly alerted and Interpol involved in the search. The latest discovery has prompted further investigation into activities at properties linked to the ministry, while authorities have yet to determine how the deceased came to be buried there or whether the cleric had any connection to the death. Investigations into the body, the properties and the allegations against Kenechukwu are ongoing.