A Nigerian pastor, Kedi Samuel Kenechukwu, has reportedly disappeared from public view after investigators uncovered a mummified body beneath a concrete structure at a property associated with his ministry in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The remains were discovered on September 19 when officers from the Nkoabang Special Police Station searched the premises as part of an investigation into activities allegedly connected to Kenechukwu, popularly known as Ekedi Samuel.
Kenechukwu, founder of Mercy of God Ministry, is already being sought by Cameroonian security agencies over allegations bordering on human trafficking, kidnapping and unlawful detention.
Tribune reported that investigators located a white-and-gold coffin approximately 1.5 metres below ground level. Inside was a body believed at first sight to be that of a woman, dressed in a blue traditional outfit decorated with gold embroidery.
The finding reportedly followed damage caused to portions of the property by residents, which prompted security personnel to inspect areas that had previously been concealed.
Authorities said further searches could be carried out after the necessary authorisation was obtained.
Investigators had visited the Nkoabang premises about 10 days earlier, on September 9.
That operation reportedly led to the discovery of five vehicles, large quantities of food, working freezers, about 30 rooms and a deep pit measuring roughly two metres.
The inquiry was expanded after an earlier security operation at another property allegedly associated with the ministry in the Ngousso area of Yaoundé on September 6.
Twenty people, comprising 10 women, eight men and two children aged six and seven, were reportedly found in a basement.
The identity of the deceased and the circumstances of the death have yet to be established.
Kenechukwu remains at large, while Cameroonian authorities have reportedly alerted border officials and sought Interpol's assistance in locating him as investigations into the properties and the activities linked to the ministry continue.
