The Cameroonian police have declared wanted a Nigerian cleric, Kedi Samuel Kenechukwu, after a mummified body was discovered buried beneath a concrete slab at a property linked to his church in Yaoundé.
Cameroon Tribune reported on Tuesday that the body was found on September 19 at about 9am by officers of the Nkoabang Special Police Station during an investigation involving the cleric also known as Ekedi Samuel.
Kenechukwu, founder of Mercy of God Ministry, is wanted by security authorities over allegations including human trafficking, arrest and kidnapping.
Several Cameroonian media outlets have reported the matter with Camer.be describing Kenechukwu as “a Nigerian prophet operating in Cameroon since 2018.”
According to reports, investigators found a white-and-gold coffin buried about 1.5 metres beneath a concrete slab at the property in Nkoabang.
The body inside was reportedly in a mummified state.
“The lid is broken. Inside, a body, a lady at first sight, dressed in a traditional blue outfit with gold embroidery, in a state of mummification, rests on a padding. This is not a normal grave,” the newspaper reported.
The discovery was made after residents vandalised parts of the property, prompting investigators to examine the area and uncover the underground structure.
Security officers were reportedly awaiting authorisation to carry out further searches of the property for possible additional remains.
The identity of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding the death had not been established as at time of filing this report.
The discovery followed a search of the same Nkoabang property on September 9.
During that operation, investigators reportedly found five vehicles, several hundred kilogrammes of food, functioning freezers and about 30 rooms.
A pit measuring about two metres deep was also found, although investigators had yet to determine its purpose.
The Nkoabang investigation followed an earlier operation at another property linked to Mercy of God Ministry in Ngousso, Yaoundé, on September 6.
Twenty people, comprising 10 women, eight men and two children aged six and seven, were reportedly found in a basement at the property.
The findings led security agencies to expand their investigation to other locations allegedly linked to the ministry.
Kenechukwu remains at large, while Cameroonian authorities have reportedly alerted border police and involved Interpol in efforts to locate him.
Investigations into the activities at the properties and the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body are ongoing.
