The skulls and bones of at least 28 individuals have been recovered from suspected criminal camps in Nigerian forests.
Police in Abia State are investigating the identities of the remains discovered in the Umuaku and Nneato forests on Saturday, following a security operation in the Umunneochi area.
Police spokeswoman Maureen Chinaka stated that the suspects fled upon the arrival of police.
The discovery is likely to renew concerns about kidnapping gangs operating in remote forests across southeastern Nigeria, where criminal groups have repeatedly targeted motorists, travelers, and residents for ransom.
Abia State Police Command said the raids were launched after receiving intelligence reports indicating suspected criminal activity in the forests.
Officers suspect the remains are those of kidnapping victims, though forensic and other investigations are ongoing to determine their identities and the circumstances of their deaths.
“Upon the arrival of the command’s tactical operatives at the camps, the suspects fled. The criminal camps were subsequently dismantled, and a total of twenty-eight human skulls and bones, believed to be kidnap victims, were recovered,” Chinaka said in a statement.
Police said surveillance has been intensified in the area as officers work to track down those who fled.
Abia State Police Commissioner Wilfred Afolabi said the operation is part of an ongoing campaign to dismantle criminal hideouts in the state.
Police have appealed to residents to report suspicious activity and security concerns while efforts continue to identify the victims and determine whether the remains are linked to unresolved kidnapping cases in the region.
Authorities have previously discovered decomposing bodies believed to be linked to kidnapping activities during security raids in Umunneochi.
Separately over the weekend, more than 80 individuals, predominantly women, were abducted in two separate mass kidnappings across northern states.
On Sunday, nearly 50 farmers were abducted by gunmen in Niger State.
Also on Sunday, about 40 women were kidnapped in the neighboring state of Zamfara, according to two security reports seen by AFP and a local source.
Abductions for ransom have become a primary revenue source for criminals, including bandits and militant Islamists, in northern Nigeria.
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