Imo State authorities have sealed a hotel and private mortuary in Umuhu Autonomous Community, Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area, following the discovery of decomposed and mutilated corpses in unhygienic conditions that have raised alarm over possible illegal organ-harvesting operations.
The facilities, both owned by a suspect identified as Stanley Morocco Oparaugo who is currently on the run, were shut down Saturday as part of an intensified security operation targeting kidnapping and violent criminal activities along the Owerri-Aba Expressway. The crackdown is being led by Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma in partnership with other security agencies in the state.
DSP Okoye Henry, spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, disclosed the development in a statement dated Saturday and shared on the command’s official X.com platform on Sunday. According to Henry, the operation was executed based on credible intelligence linking Oparaugo to criminal networks operating in the area.
During the raid on the suspect’s properties, security operatives conducted thorough inspections of both the hotel and mortuary. The search revealed deeply disturbing conditions at the mortuary facility, where decomposed corpses showing signs of mutilation were found stored in extremely poor sanitary conditions. The state of the bodies and the manner in which they were kept immediately triggered suspicions that the facility may have been used for illegal organ harvesting activities.
Henry stated that the hotel allegedly served as an operational base for kidnappers and other violent criminals, prompting authorities to investigate the full extent of criminal activities conducted on the premises. Following these shocking discoveries, the state government immediately ordered both establishments sealed pending further investigation.
Security personnel also searched Oparaugo’s residence, where they recovered what the command described as crucial exhibits that are expected to aid the ongoing investigation. However, the suspect himself remains at large, and authorities have declared him wanted.
The Commissioner of Police has assured the public that efforts are underway to identify and apprehend all accomplices involved in the alleged criminal enterprise. The command issued a public appeal for anyone with useful information about Oparaugo’s whereabouts to contact the nearest police station immediately.
As part of measures to reassure travelers and residents, the police command announced the deployment of maximum security presence along the Owerri-Aba Expressway, a route that has witnessed recurring incidents of kidnapping and armed attacks. The heightened security deployment comes ahead of the holiday season when road travel typically increases across the country.
The command emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safety of all travelers during the festive period, urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to security agencies.
This latest development adds to mounting concerns about the operations of the Imo State Police Command’s anti-kidnapping unit.Nigerians have called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and human rights organizations to investigate allegations of unlawful detentions, extrajudicial killings, and torture by the command’s Tiger Base Unit.
The calls for investigation followed demands for justice by the family of Levi Opara, a 46-year-old businessman and father of five from Emekuku in Owerri North Local Government Area. Opara was arrested on October 15, 2023, following what was described as a domestic misunderstanding with his wife. His family alleged that despite efforts to secure his release, he was found dead on October 18, 2023, with conflicting accounts surrounding the circumstances of his death while in custody.
