Imo State Government Demolishes Hotel, Mortuary, and Residential Properties Linked to Suspected Organ Harvesting
In a decisive crackdown on alleged criminal activities, the Imo State Government, in collaboration with the State Police Command, has demolished several properties in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, including Jessy Best Hotel and the mortuary services of Ugwudi Cottage Hospital, both located along the Owerri-Aba Road.
The demolition exercise also targeted two luxury residential buildings—a bungalow and a duplex with large compounds—as well as a smaller apartment in the Ngor community, which authorities described as a shrine where fetish items were discovered and destroyed by enforcement teams.
Prior to the demolition, unclaimed corpses from the mortuary were evacuated and transferred to another preservation facility.
Speaking at the site before the operation commenced, Imo State Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma confirmed that the demolitions were carried out on the direct orders of Governor Hope Uzodinma. He revealed that the properties belonged to Stanley Oparaugo, popularly known as "Morocco," who has been declared wanted after repeatedly failing to respond to police invitations.
Danjuma stated that credible intelligence indicated the facilities served as havens for criminal activities. The mortuary, in particular, is suspected of involvement in organ harvesting, with many bodies found mutilated and missing vital organs.
"The suspect can only run but can’t hide for too long as the long arm of the law would catch up with him," Danjuma warned, adding that security along the Owerri-Aba Expressway would be intensified to ensure safe travel. He appealed to the public for information leading to Oparaugo's arrest.
Imo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Chioma Egu, explained that the action was aimed at averting further health and security threats. She noted that the mortuary was unlicensed and unregistered, with investigations revealing widespread removal of organs from deposited corpses.
Egu announced plans to establish a taskforce to monitor and shut down substandard preservation centers across the state.
Ngor Okpala Local Government Council Chairman, Chika Ibekwe, praised Governor Uzodinma for his bold stance against insecurity, pledging to maintain a safe environment for residents and visitors.
The operation was overseen by the Governor's Special Adviser on Monitoring and Compliance, Chinasa Nwaneri, alongside other officials and security personnel.
The demolitions follow recent discoveries of mutilated and decomposed bodies at the facilities, amid reports linking them to kidnapping and ritual activities in the area.
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