Imo seals hotel, mortuary as police probe deaths linked to kidnap syndicate

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 7 December 2025 9:39pm WAT

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Imo seals hotel, mortuary as police probe deaths linked to kidnap syndicate

Imo seals hotel, mortuary as police probe deaths linked to kidnap syndicate

The Imo State Government on Saturday shut down a hotel and a privately owned mortuary in Umuhu Autonomous Community, Ngor-Okpala, following the discovery of decomposed and mutilated bodies during a security operation targeting suspected kidnappers along the Owerri–Aba Expressway.

The action followed an intelligence-led operation involving the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, and other security stakeholders. The State Police Command said the facilities are linked to a wanted suspect, Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, who is alleged to have connections to kidnapping and violent crimes in the area.

In a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Okoye Henry, police personnel inspected the suspect’s hotel and mortuary. “At the mortuary, decomposed and mutilated corpses were discovered in unhygienic conditions, raising suspicions of illegal organ-harvesting activities,” Henry said. He added that both facilities were sealed on the directive of the state government, while items described as “crucial exhibits” were recovered from the suspect’s residence during a search.

The police said Oparaugo has been declared wanted and urged members of the public to provide information on his whereabouts. “Maximum security has been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Expressway,” Henry said, adding that the command remains committed to safeguarding travellers during the holiday period.

The development coincides with renewed public scrutiny of policing practices in the state. Residents have called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and human rights groups to investigate allegations of unlawful detentions, extrajudicial killings, and torture involving the Command’s anti-kidnapping unit, known as the Tiger Base Unit.

The demands intensified after the family of a businessman, Levi Opara, raised concerns over his death in the custody of the unit. Opara, a 46-year-old father of five from Emekuku in Owerri North, was arrested on 15 October 2023 after what relatives described as a “domestic misunderstanding” with his wife. He was reported dead three days later, with conflicting accounts provided regarding the circumstances of his death.

The police have yet to release an official response to the claims surrounding the Tiger Base Unit, but rights advocates say a thorough inquiry is necessary in view of the allegations and the recent discoveries in Ngor-Okpala.

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