UMUAHIA — Police in Nigeria's southeastern Abia state recovered the skulls and bones of at least 28 people from suspected criminal camps in forest areas over the weekend. The discovery in the Umuaku and Nneato forests followed a security operation in the Umunneochi area targeting criminal hideouts.
Abia State Police Command tactical operatives arrived at the suspected camps on Saturday. Suspects fled the scene, and police dismantled the camps during a search of the abandoned sites.
"A total of twenty-eight human skulls and bones, suspected to be kidnap victims, were recovered," police spokeswoman Maureen Chinaka said. Forensic investigations are underway to identify the victims and determine the circumstances of their deaths.
Police suspect the remains belong to individuals abducted by criminal gangs. The discovery underscores persistent kidnapping-for-ransom operations in remote forest areas of southeastern Nigeria, where criminal groups frequently target motorists, travelers and residents.
Abia state police commissioner Wilfred Afolabi said the operation is part of an ongoing campaign to dismantle criminal hideouts throughout the state. Authorities have intensified surveillance in the area to track suspects who fled.
Police appealed to local residents to report suspicious activity or security concerns. Efforts continue to identify the victims and determine whether the remains are linked to unresolved kidnapping cases.
Decomposing bodies believed connected to kidnapping activities have been found in Umunneochi during previous security raids.
The discoveries in Abia coincide with mass abductions in northern Nigeria. Gunmen abducted nearly 50 farmers in Niger State on Sunday, and approximately 40 women were kidnapped in neighboring Zamfara state the same day. Kidnapping for ransom has become a primary source of income for criminal groups, including bandits and militant Islamists, across northern Nigeria.
