Imo State Government has shut down an unlicensed mortuary and hotel allegedly linked to organ-harvesting activities reportedly run by kidnappers in Umuhu autonomous community in Ngor Okpala Local Council of the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, led security operatives, while the Commissioner of Health, Dr Chioma Egu; the Chief Pathologist of Imo State Specialist Hospital, Dr Ibeaja Okechukwu; the Chairman of Ngor Okpala Local Council, Chika Ibekwe, and the head of the Vigilante group, Henry Ikpe, joined in examining the two facilities suspected to be locations where abducted persons were held and later taken to the mortuary for organ removal.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, in a statement released after the weekend inspection, said the discovery happened during continuing operations targeting kidnapping and violent crimes in the state carried out by the combined team.
Okoye, who identified the owner of the illegal mortuary as Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, currently on the run, explained that investigators found decomposing and mutilated remains kept in poor sanitary conditions, heightening concerns of illicit organ practices.
“As part of ongoing efforts to curb kidnapping and other violent crimes along the Owerri–Aba Expressway, a high-powered team, led by the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma on Saturday, December 6, 2025, inspected suspected kidnappers’ hideouts in Umuhu Autonomous Community in Ngor-Okpala Local Council following credible intelligence on Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, currently at large.
“A hotel and a private mortuary owned by the suspect, allegedly used by kidnappers and violent criminals, were inspected. At the mortuary, decomposed and mutilated dead bodies were discovered in unhygienic conditions, raising suspicions of illegal organ-harvesting activities,” he said.
Okoye noted that both facilities were promptly sealed on the orders of the state government, while the suspect’s home was searched, and vital evidence retrieved. He added that forensic specialists recorded their observations, stating that Danjuma vowed that everyone involved would be prosecuted.
The Command’s spokesperson urged the public to provide any relevant information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest by contacting the nearest police division or calling 0803 477 3600.
“Maximum security has been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. The Command assures travellers during the holidays of its commitment to their safety,” he stated.
