Body of abducted real estate executive found in remote forest

The remains of a missing real estate executive, Ekpeboh Richard, have been discovered in a forested area near the new NDDC IDP camp and Otuokpoti road in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Police sources revealed that Richard, who was the Vice Chairman of the Real Estate Consultants Association, was abducted and taken into the forest, where he was shot in the head before his body was abandoned in the bush. His remains were recovered Saturday night by the Rapid Response Unit of the Police Command.

Richard, a native of Ammassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, had left home on July 24, 2025, and never returned. His disappearance raised concerns when his wife noticed he had not come back by 2 a.m. the following day.

According to a family source, “Further prompting by the wife that she would reach out to the extended family to ask him why he abandoned the house was met by a promise to send money via POS. A sum of N15,300 was purportedly sent to a POS agent and not the wife’s account.

“It was later discovered that those who abducted and killed him were the same people using his phone to chat with the worried wife.”

Friends and colleagues subsequently alerted the police, prompting an investigation by the Rapid Response Squad led by CSP Bishop Elemide. Acting on intelligence, community cooperation, and eyewitness reports, officers traced the crime to two young men seen dragging the victim into the forest from a blue Honda Vboot car.

“What we heard later were gunshots,” the eyewitness recounted.

The suspects reportedly fled with Richard’s Toyota Matrix after the killing. Investigators also found signs of a struggle at the crime scene, including footwear located a short distance from where the body was recovered.
Police spokesperson DSP Musa Muhammad said he would provide further updates but had not commented as of press time.