The Imo State Government has sealed a hotel and a private mortuary in the Umuhu Autonomous Community of Ngor-Okpala after authorities uncovered decomposed and mutilated bodies kept in highly unhygienic conditions.
The disturbing discovery has intensified suspicions of possible illegal organ-harvesting activities.
The operation formed part of an ongoing crackdown on kidnapping and violent crimes along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. It was led by the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, in collaboration with relevant security stakeholders.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Okoye Henry, the raid was carried out following credible intelligence linking the facilities to a wanted suspect, Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, who is currently on the run.
Henry revealed that both the hotel and the mortuary are owned by Oparaugo and were allegedly used by kidnappers and other criminal groups. He noted that officers found several decomposed and mutilated corpses inside the mortuary, further heightening concerns about illegal activities.
Following the discoveries, the State Government ordered the immediate sealing of the hotel and mortuary. A search of the suspect’s residence also led to the recovery of crucial exhibits.
The Commissioner of Police assured the public that all accomplices connected to the crimes would be tracked down and prosecuted.
Oparaugo has officially been declared wanted, and the police are urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to report to the nearest station.
Enhanced security measures have also been deployed along the Owerri–Aba corridor, especially for holiday travellers.
In a related development, Nigerians have called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and human rights organisations to investigate allegations of unlawful detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings by the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, widely known as the Tiger Base Unit.
The renewed call for accountability follows the case of 46-year-old businessman Levi Opara, who reportedly died under questionable circumstances while in the custody of the unit.
Opara, a father of five from Emekuku in Owerri North LGA, was arrested on October 15, 2023, after a domestic dispute with his wife.
Despite family efforts to secure his release, he was found dead three days later, with conflicting accounts surrounding his final hours.
