The Imo State Government, in collaboration with the state police command, has demolished a hotel, a mortuary and several residential buildings in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area over alleged links to criminal activities, including suspected organ harvesting.
The affected properties, located along the Owerri–Aba Road, include Jessy Best Hotel, Ugwudi Cottage Hospital mortuary services, two luxury houses comprising a bungalow and a duplex, as well as a smaller apartment reportedly used as a shrine. Items described as fetish objects were discovered at the site and destroyed during the enforcement exercise, while unclaimed corpses were evacuated to another approved preservation facility before demolition commenced.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Aboki Danjuma, said the action followed a directive from Governor Hope Uzodinma. He disclosed that the owner of the demolished properties, Stanley Oparaugo, also known as “Morocco,” has been declared wanted after repeatedly failing to honour police invitations.
Danjuma said intelligence reports identified the locations as centres for various criminal activities, adding that the mortuary was suspected to have been used for illegal organ harvesting, based on findings from investigations. He assured residents that the suspect would be brought to justice, urging members of the public to continue supporting the police with credible information to enhance security along the Owerri–Aba Expressway and across the state.
Also addressing the media, the Commissioner for Health, Chioma Egu, explained that the mortuary was demolished to avert potential health and security risks. She noted that the facility was neither registered nor licensed, and inspections by her ministry revealed serious violations of operational standards. Egu added that the government would soon constitute a task force to shut down unlicensed body preservation centres operating in the state.
The Chairman of Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, Chika Ibekwe, commended the state government for taking decisive steps to tackle insecurity, assuring residents that the council would remain safe for both indigenes and visitors. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring and Compliance, Chinasa Nwaneri, was also present during the demolition exercise.