…Following the discoveries, the Imo state government ordered both the hotel and mortuary sealed.
IMO, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Imo State Government has shut down a hotel and a private mortuary allegedly linked to kidnapping and illegal organ harvesting. The action followed a visit by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Chioma Egu; the Chief Pathologist of the Imo State Specialist Hospital, Dr. Ibeaja Okechukwu; and the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, to the facilities located in Ngor Okpala, where decomposed and mutilated bodies were reportedly discovered.
Imo state Police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, announced the development in a statement on Saturday night, explaining that the operation was based on credible intelligence.
According to Okoye, the owner of the hotel and mortuary, identified as Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, has been declared wanted.
He explained that as part of ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and violent crimes along the Owerri–Aba Expressway, a high-powered team led by the Imo state Commissioner of Police visited suspected kidnappers’ hideouts in Umuhu Autonomous Community, Ngor Okpala, on December 6, 2025. The operation was carried out following intelligence reports on Oparaugo, who is currently on the run.
The delegation also included the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Chioma Egu; Chief Pathologist, Dr. Ibeaja Okechukwu; members of the Ngor Okpala Vigilante Group led by Henry Ikpe; and the Chairman of Ngor Okpala LGA, Hon. Chika Ibekwe.
During the inspection, the team examined a hotel and private mortuary owned by the suspect, facilities allegedly used by kidnappers and violent criminals. At the mortuary, investigators found decomposed and dismembered corpses kept in unhygienic conditions, raising strong suspicions of illegal organ-harvesting activities.
Following the discoveries, the Imo state government ordered both the hotel and mortuary sealed. A search was also conducted at the suspect’s residence, where key exhibits were recovered.
Forensic experts documented and secured the evidence, while the Commissioner of Police assured the public that everyone connected to the crimes would be tracked down and prosecuted.
Oparaugo has been declared wanted, and the police have urged anyone with useful information to report to the nearest station.
