Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have discovered a decomposing body during a raid on suspected kidnappers’ hideouts in Okuku and Ndegwu communities, both in Owerri West Local Government Area.
Spokesperson of the Command, DSP Henry Okoye, said the discovery followed a coordinated operation by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit aimed at flushing out criminal elements across the state.
He explained that the operation, led by ACP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa and carried out in collaboration with local vigilante groups, successfully dislodged the hoodlums from an abandoned livestock farm within the Okuku–Agwa forest, where the corpse was found.
Okoye said the area was cordoned off before the body, already in a decomposing state, was evacuated to a morgue for forensic examination.
“Samples have been obtained by the Command’s Forensic Unit and will be sent for DNA analysis to determine whether they match that of Barrister Jeffery Ucheagwu, who was abducted on October 14, 2025, at Site and Services, Umuguma, Owerri-West,” Okoye said.
He added that the hideout has been placed under round-the-clock surveillance to prevent the criminals from regrouping and to aid ongoing investigations into the abduction case.
Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, commended the operatives for their professionalism and bravery, reaffirming the Command’s resolve to rid the state of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
He urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with the police by providing credible information that could assist in ongoing investigations and the arrest of fleeing suspects.