Members of the Association of Real Estate Consultants, Bayelsa State chapter, have commended the Bayelsa State Police Command for its swift investigation and arrest of suspects linked to the murder of one of their members, Mr. Richard Ekpebu.
Ekpebu, a 42-year-old real estate agent and Vice Chairman of the association, was allegedly murdered on July 24, 2025, following a disputed land transaction. A client, George Idumangi, also known as Pastor Brandy, is the prime suspect in the case.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Idumangi’s girlfriend, in whose custody security operatives reportedly recovered a pump-action gun, five live cartridges, two empty AK-47 magazines, 10 walkie-talkies, 10 chargers and three AK-47 rifle slings in Yenagoa.
Speaking at the association’s 2025 end-of-year party and award ceremony, the Chairman of the Association of Real Estate Consultants, Bayelsa chapter, Evangelist Esi J. Sam Eres, said the awards presented to the Commissioner of Police, CP Francis Idu, and the Commander of Operation Puff Adder, CSP Chris Nwaogbo, were in recognition of the police command’s professionalism, intelligence gathering and commitment to the security of lives and property in the state.
According to him, the award of excellence was the association’s modest way of appreciating the police for the progress recorded in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the killing of their Vice Chairman.
Also honoured with awards of excellence in their various fields were the Commissioner for Housing and former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Toney Isenah; former lawmaker and industrialist, Chief Robert Enoah; Estate Surveyor and Valuer, Rt. Hon. Remy Hazzan; and the association’s chairman, Evangelist Esi J. Sam Eres.
Other award recipients included the association’s Public Relations Officer, Ebizimor Cockson; Vice Chairman, Sydney Kekepai; and Secretary, Binatari Fiebigha, who were recognised for their outstanding service.
Earlier in his address, Evangelist Eres noted that ongoing reforms in the real estate sector in Bayelsa State were helping to separate professionalism from quackery. He disclosed that over 700 practitioners are currently registered with the association and that it is collaborating with professional bodies such as the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and relevant government agencies to promote integrity, transparency and professionalism in the sector.
He added that 2025 had recorded steady progress, with increased investor interest and an influx of investors into Bayelsa State.
In his remarks, Estate Surveyor and Valuer, Rt. Hon. Remy Hazzan, urged members of the association to avoid actions that could erode public trust in real estate practice. He commended the association’s leadership for the reforms introduced, particularly in the registration of practitioners, and stressed the need for objectivity and accountability to remain the guiding principles of the profession in the state.