BBC News
Published
image captionRichard Okorogheye, who had sickle cell disease, left home without his medication on 22 March
The police watchdog is assessing whether the Met needs to be investigated over its handling of the disappearance of Richard Okorogheye.
The student was found dead in a pond in Essex after being reported missing by his family two weeks earlier.
After Mr Okorogheye s body was found, the Met Police made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The IOPC said it would look to see if any future involvement is required .
The Met said as a matter of routine a referral had also been made to its Directorate of Professional Standards, as the 19-year-old had been reported missing by his family before his body was found.
Police confirm body found in Epping Forest identified as Richard Okorogheye
PICTURED: Richard Okorogheye was a student at Oxford Brookes University (Image via the Okorogheye Family)
A BODY found in a lake in Epping Forest has been formally identified as missing 19-year-old Richard Okorogheye, the Metropolitan police have confirmed.
Essex police officers made the discovery on Monday. The Met said the student’s death is being treated as unexplained and they do not believe at this stage there was any third-party involvement.
Richard went missing after leaving the home he shared with his mother in the Ladbroke Grove area of west London on the evening of March 22.
Punch Newspapers
Sections
Published 8 April 2021
The mother of a Nigerian student, Richard Okorogheye, whose body was found in a lake in Epping Forest in UK, says her heart “feels as if it has been ripped apart”.
According to Sky News, Evidence Joel said she is “completely hollow and devastated and empty” after police confirmed yesterday that the body found in Essex on Monday was the 19-year-old’s.
“At this moment of time I just want answers as how my son lost his life. I want answers. I desperately need closure,” she said.
She said she will continue to support the police in order to find out what happened to her son.
Richard Okorogheye’s mother hopes to build a foundation in his name to support sufferers of sickle cell disease and young people with their mental health, after her son “struggled to cope” during lockdown.
Evidence Joel has thanked the public for donating to a fundraiser, set up by her cousin Blessing Okorji, to cover funeral costs and to build a memorial bench near where Mr Okorogheye was found.
Police confirmed a body found in a lake in Epping Forest, Essex, on Monday was that of the 19-year-old student, who was reported missing two weeks ago.
Richard Okorogheye’s body was found in a lake in Epping Forest (Ian West/PA)