Bayelsa Real Estate Mogul Found Dead in Forest

The Bayelsa State Police Command has confirmed the death of a missing real estate developer, Ekpeboh Richard, whose body was found in a swampy forest several days after he was reported missing.

According to Vanguard, officers from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) found Richard’s body around 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 2. 

The discovery was made in a thick swamp between the NDDC IDP Camp Road and Otuokpoti, located in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Preliminary investigations show that the Bayelsa real estate mogul was killed with a close-range gunshot to the head, in what police describe as an execution-style murder. His body was then dumped and partially hidden in the forest.

Richard, a father of two and Vice Chairman of the Real Estate Consultants Association of Bayelsa State, was from Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. 

He was last seen on July 24, 2025, after leaving home. His wife became worried when he didn’t return and raised an alarm early the next morning.

Family members said suspicious messages were later sent from his phone via WhatsApp. The texts claimed he was safe and told his wife not to worry. 

One message even mentioned that he would send money through a PoS operator instead of his usual bank transfer, and a payment of N15,300 was reportedly made.

The messages also mentioned debts of N9 million and N3 million that Richard supposedly owed to colleagues in the real estate industry.

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However, police believe these messages were fake and sent by his kidnappers to delay efforts to find him.

Eyewitnesses said they saw two young men in a blue Honda V-Boot dragging a man into the forest. Shortly afterward, they heard two gunshots. 

The suspects later escaped in Richard’s Toyota Matrix, which is still missing.

At the crime scene, police found signs of a struggle, including a shoe thought to belong to the deceased. His body showed serious gunshot wounds to the head.

The Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed that the Homicide Unit from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) is handling the case. 

Investigators are currently looking into two possible motives: a business-related conflict or connections to cybercrime or money laundering.

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