Cameroonian authorities are searching for Nigerian cleric Kedi Samuel Kenechukwu, founder of Mercy of God Ministry, after a mummified body was found buried beneath a concrete slab at a property in Nkoabang, Yaoundé, on September 19, 2026. The discovery was made by officers from the Nkoabang Special Police Station at approximately 9am during an ongoing investigation into the pastor, who is wanted on allegations of human trafficking, unlawful arrest, and kidnapping.
Discovery at Nkoabang Property
The body was found inside a white-and-gold coffin buried roughly 1.5 metres underground. Cameroonian newspaper Cameroon Tribune described the scene, stating: "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 identity of the woman and the circumstances of her death had not been established at the time of the report.
According to The Punch, investigators reached the concealed area after residents vandalised parts of the property, exposing the underground section. Security officers were still waiting for authorisation to conduct a broader search of the site for any additional remains.
Earlier Searches and Rescue Operation
The September 19 discovery came about ten days after an earlier search of the Nkoabang property on September 9, during which investigators found five vehicles, several hundred kilogrammes of food, functioning freezers, approximately 30 rooms, and a pit roughly two metres deep whose purpose was not established at the time.
The Nkoabang searches were preceded by an operation at a separate property linked to Mercy of God Ministry in the Ngousso area of Yaoundé on September 6. During that raid, 20 people were reportedly found in a basement, among them 10 women, eight men, and two children aged six and seven.
Manhunt and Ongoing Investigation
Cameroonian news outlet Camer.be described Kenechukwu as "a Nigerian prophet operating in Cameroon since 2018." He has not been apprehended, and Cameroonian authorities have alerted border police and involved Interpol in the effort to locate him. The investigation into the activities across the linked properties remains ongoing.
