“Not a Normal Grave” — Cameroonian Police Launch Search for Fugitive Nigerian Cleric

Cameroonian authorities have launched a cross-border manhunt involving Interpol for a Nigerian cleric, Kedi Samuel Kenechukwu, after police uncovered a mummified body hidden beneath a concrete slab at his church property in Yaoundé.

The shocking discovery was made at a property linked to Kenechukwu’s Mercy of God Ministry in the Nkoabang area. Officers from the Nkoabang Special Police Station uncovered a broken concrete floor leading to a buried white-and-gold coffin roughly 1.5 meters underground. Inside lay the mummified remains of a woman dressed in traditional blue attire with gold embroidery.

Kenechukwu, also known as Prophet Ekedi Samuel, has operated in Cameroon since 2018 and was already under heavy investigation for alleged human trafficking, unlawful detention, and kidnapping. Just weeks prior, police raided another site connected to his ministry in the Ngousso district, rescuing 20 people—including women and young children—who were found confined inside a basement. A subsequent search of the Nkoabang property uncovered nearly 30 rooms, stockpiled food, and an unexplained two-meter pit.

After angry residents damaged parts of the building and exposed the underground chamber, police stumbled upon the hidden grave. However, the cleric fled before security forces could arrest him. Cameroonian authorities have alerted border security posts to prevent his escape as forensic teams work to identify the victim and investigate potential additional graves.

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