Court Orders Exhumation of GSU Officer Secretly Buried in Church Compound

A court ordered the exhumation of the body of a General Service Unit (GSU) officer who was secretly buried at St Joseph's of Messiah church compound in secrecy.

The officer, identified as Dan Ayoo, was alleged to have died while on his way to the church, where he was a staunch follower.

Police stated that the burial was conducted in secrecy without the knowledge or consent of the deceased’s family or authorities, prompting suspicions that ritualistic practices may have been involved.

Authorities also rounded up several people who attended the burial as probes into the circumstances of his death and burial gathered pace.

Five months after his death, the court had directed that the officer’s body be exhumed and reburied at his parents’ home in Kano, in line with Luo cultural practices and on the recommendation of the police.

However, the ruling was opposed by the deceased’s wife, who sought to block the exercise, leading to delays as the matter remained before the court.

As theexhumation exercise commenced,police maintained that the process was lawful and sanctioned by the courts. An officer overseeing the operation stated that all necessary parties had been involved and urged anyone opposing the exercise to seek legal redress through an appeal rather than obstructing the process.

The news left residents shaken, with many saying they could not believe such things happened for so long without anyone noticing. Some said they had trusted the church members, describing them as people they had known for years and regarded as friends and neighbours.

Other residents recounted that the situation onlybecame suspicious after they noticed unusualactivity around the church compound, including the frequent movement of large vehicles and the presence of many people whose activities were unclear.

They added that it was difficult to determine where the visitors slept, ate, or what they were doing exactly within the compound.“So many big vehicles were tickling in, and people were staying here, but when you come in the huge crowd that was there, you could not even trace where they were sleeping, what they were eating, and what they were doing,” a resident stated

Following the revelations, authorities ordered the closure of the church, and all worshippers were forced to vacate the premises as investigations continued. Police said the move was necessary to preserve evidence and prevent interference with ongoing inquiries.

The case drew widespread attention due to the secrecy surrounding the burial, the allegations of ritual involvement, and the tension between legal directives and family objections.