…as Cameroonian border police, Interpol hunt for fleeing pastor
. Mummified body dressed with gold embroidered clothes found buried in white-and-gold coffin under church’s concrete slab
. Security agents earlier found 20 people, including children in basement of another property owned by same church
Cameroonian security agents have launched a manhunt for a Nigerian cleric wanted by the country’s authorities following the discovery of a mummified corpse buried beneath a concrete slab at a property linked to his church in Yaoundé.
According to Cameroon Tribune, the body was found on September 19 at about 9am by officers of the Nkoabang Special Police Station during an ongoing investigation involving the fleeing pastor, Kedi Samuel Kenechukwu, also known as Ekedi Samuel.
Kenechukwu is the founder of Mercy of God Ministry and is currently wanted by security authorities over allegations including human trafficking, arrest and kidnapping.
Several Cameroonian news outlets have reported on the case, with Cameroon Tribune describing Kenechukwu as “a Nigerian prophet operating in Cameroon since 2018.”
Investigators reportedly discovered a white-and-gold coffin buried about 1.5 metres beneath a concrete slab at the property in Nkoabang.
The body was described as being in a state of mummification.
“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.
According to Cameroon Tribune, the discovery was made after residents vandalised parts of the property, leading investigators to uncover the concealed underground area.
At the time of the newspaper’s report, security officers were still awaiting authorisation to conduct further searches of the site for possible remains.
As of the time of this report, the identity of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding her death had not been established.
The discovery came about 10 days after a search was first conducted on the same Nkoabang property on September 9.
It was gathered that during that operation, investigators reportedly found five vehicles, several hundred kilogrammes of food, functioning freezers and about 30 rooms on the property.
Cameroonian security agents also discovered a pit about two metres deep, although its purpose had not been established at the time.
The Nkoabang investigation followed an earlier operation at a property associated with the same Mercy of God Ministry in Ngousso, Yaoundé, on September 6.
During this search, twenty people — 10 women, eight men and two children aged six and seven — were reportedly found in a basement at the property.
The discoveries prompted Cameroonian security agencies to investigate other locations allegedly connected to the ministry.
Pastor Kenechukwu is currently on the run, with Cameroonian authorities reportedly alerting border police and involving Interpol in efforts to locate him.
Investigations have continued into the activities at the properties and the circumstances surrounding the newly discovered body.
