Photos: Imo Police Recover Decomposed Body in Owerri-West Kidnappers’ Hideout, DNA Tests Pending on Missing Lawyer

The Imo State Police have made a major breakthrough in their fight against kidnapping and violent crime in the state. On November 5, operatives from the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, working alongside local vigilante groups, raided suspected kidnappers’ hideouts in Okuku and Ndegwu communities in Owerri-West Local Government Area.

During the operation, a decomposing body was recovered from one of the hideouts, which was situated in an abandoned livestock farm deep in the Okuku–Agwa forest. The scene was secured, and the corpse was taken to the morgue for forensic examination.

Samples have been collected by the police forensic team and will undergo DNA testing to determine if the remains belong to Barrister Jeffery Ucheagwu, a lawyer from Ihembosi who was abducted on October 14, 2025, at Site and Services, Umuguma, Owerri-West LGA.

The dislodged hideouts are now under 24-hour surveillance to prevent regrouping by the criminals and to gather further intelligence on their operations. The police say they are intensifying efforts to apprehend members of the gang responsible for the abduction and to secure the lawyer’s safe return if he is still alive.

State Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma praised the officers for their professionalism and bravery, reaffirming the command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and protecting the people of Imo State. The police also urged the public to remain calm, law-abiding, and to provide timely information that could assist ongoing investigations.

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