Akenzua Street in Benin City, the Edo State capital was in the late morning of Monday in a carnival mood as a huge crowd gathered at house number 5 to catch a glimpse of a man who was found seated on a tomb.
The tombstone which was under lock and key, is that of late Emmanuel Obayuwana, who died 11 years ago. The unidentified man in his mid-twenties, wore white hand gloves, tied a white cloth around his head and had a wooden box containing pieces of cloth with blood stains besides him.
The scene caused panic among residents, who wondered his motives and how he managed to get into the locked tomb.
Worried by the sight a spiritualist said to have been invited to address the scene and offer prayers to assist in rescuing the man but on sighting him, he took to his heels.
It took the intervention of some traditional chiefs, from the oba’s palace, who came to the scene chanting and making incantations, before the young man was brought out from the tomb.
Meanwhile Mr. Isaac Obayuwana, who is the landlord of the building and eldest son of the deceased, expressed shock at the trend and said “ we all woke up to find the man inside my father’s grave, we don’t know him from anywhere, and how he got inside the locked place remains a mystery.”