The Bayelsa State Police Command has confirmed the recovery of the body of a missing real estate agent, Mr. Ekpeboh Richard, whose remains were discovered in a forest along the New NDDC Road in Ogbia Local Government Area.
The late Ekpeboh, a prominent real estate consultant, was found dead by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad around 6pm on Saturday, with a gunshot wound to the head, suggesting he was executed and dumped in the bush.
His family had earlier reported him missing during the week. Ekpeboh served as the Vice Chairman of the Real Estate Consultants Association in Bayelsa and hailed from Ammassoma, in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. He was a husband and father of two.
According to reports, he left home on the 24th of July, 2025, but never returned. His wife, alarmed by his unusual delay, became increasingly worried by 2am the next day.
Family sources disclosed that she repeatedly tried to contact him for three days, but he neither answered her calls nor returned them. Eventually, she received a message on chat, supposedly from him, asking her not to panic or raise alarm, assuring her he was fine.
Further communication from the same number occurred when she informed him of her intention to alert family members over his sudden disappearance. In response, he promised to send some money through a POS agent. A transfer of N15,300 was later made to a third party instead of directly to her account.
He also mentioned owing two individuals a total of N12 million — N9 million and N3 million respectively — within the real estate association.
However, it was later suspected that his abductors had taken control of his phone and were impersonating him to mislead the family.
Concerned friends and colleagues, growing suspicious of the inconsistent messages, reported the incident to the police. Officers of the Rapid Response Squad, under the leadership of CSP Bishop Elemide, immediately began investigating.
Relying on tips from local youths and an eyewitness account, the police learned that two young men driving a blue Honda car had forcibly taken Ekpeboh into the forest. Not long after, the witness reportedly heard two gunshots. The men were then seen fleeing the scene in their vehicle.
In addition to fleeing the scene, the suspects also made away with the deceased’s car, identified as a Toyota Matrix.
During further investigation, police discovered signs of a struggle near the location where Ekpeboh’s body was found. His footwear was recovered a short distance from the corpse, indicating a possible scuffle before he was shot.
Sources within the State Police Headquarters revealed that the Homicide Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) is now handling the case and has already begun compiling critical details.
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