A stray dog has caused panic at the Kpakungu Muslim cemetery in Minna, the Niger State capital, after it allegedly gained entry into the burial ground and attempted to dig up a grave.
The incident, which occurred around 6pm, was said to have thrown residents in the area into confusion after the dog forced its way through the fence and began clawing at a grave within the cemetery.
Eyewitnesses said the security guard on duty raised the alarm, prompting neighbours to rush to the scene amid fears that an intruder had entered the burial ground.
However, the residents were said to have discovered that it was a dog digging at one of the graves.
In anger, they reportedly attacked the animal, dragged it out of the cemetery and set it on fire.
One resident, who witnessed the incident, described the situation as frightening, noting that many people initially believed something more sinister was unfolding.
The incident later triggered rumours across Minna, with claims circulating that a person had been caught and set ablaze while attempting to exhume a corpse.
The speculation reportedly attracted a large crowd to the cemetery, even at night.
But in a video seen by our correspondent, the cemetery security guard dismissed the claims, insisting that no human being entered the burial ground or transformed into a dog as alleged.
According to him, the dog was killed to prevent further attempts by stray animals to dig up graves, adding that similar incidents had occurred in the past.
“This is the fifth time dogs have been killed for trying to dig graves here. People should stop spreading rumours that a human turned into a dog,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the command received a report at about 8:15pm on January 22, 2026, about a dog that trespassed into the Kpakungu burial ground and attempted to dig a grave.
Abiodun stated that the dog was attacked by the security guard and some residents before it was set ablaze.
He urged members of the public to disregard what he described as fabricated reports suggesting that a human being entered the cemetery to exhume corpses, warning that such rumours could trigger unnecessary panic and unrest.
