The Abia State Police Command says it has recovered 28 human skulls and other human bones from suspected criminal camps in forests around Umuaku and Nneato communities in Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state.
The discovery was made during an intelligence-led operation carried out by tactical units of the command on Saturday, September 26, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle suspected criminal hideouts across Abia.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said the operation involved personnel from the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and the Isuochi Divisional Police Station.
According to the police, the operatives moved into suspected criminal camps in the forests after receiving intelligence about their activities. The occupants reportedly fled when they sighted the security personnel, leaving the camps deserted.
The police subsequently searched and dismantled the suspected hideouts. During the operation, officers discovered 28 human skulls and other bones scattered within the camps.
Chinaka said the police suspected that the remains could belong to victims of kidnapping. However, she stressed that investigations were ongoing, meaning the identities of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding their deaths had not yet been conclusively established.
Some of the recovered remains were reportedly decomposed, adding to the difficulty of immediately determining when the deaths occurred or identifying the individuals involved.
No arrests were made during the operation because the suspects reportedly escaped before the tactical teams reached the camps. The command said surveillance of the area had been intensified and that efforts were continuing to locate and apprehend those who fled.
The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, said the command would continue intelligence-led operations aimed at preventing criminal groups from using forests and other isolated locations as safe havens.
The operation was conducted under the command's ongoing campaign, “Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the State,” which is focused on identifying and dismantling suspected criminal camps.
The police also appealed to residents to provide information that could assist investigators and security agencies in identifying suspicious movements and criminal activities in their communities.
The discovery has raised serious questions about activities that may have taken place in the remote forest locations. However, the available information does not yet establish who the remains belonged to, how the individuals died or whether particular suspects were responsible.
Those questions are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation as the police continue efforts to identify the deceased, establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and apprehend the suspects who escaped.
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