The Abia State Police Command says its operatives have recovered 28 human skulls and assorted bones from two suspected criminal camps in the forests of Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area.
The discovery was made on Saturday after personnel from the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and Isuochi Divisional Police Station raided the suspected camps in Umuaku and Nneato, Isuochi.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said the operation was conducted based on actionable intelligence obtained through the Command’s ongoing “Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the State.”
She said the suspects escaped into nearby forests as the tactical teams moved into the camps, leaving the locations deserted.
“A total of twenty-eight human skulls and bones, suspected to be those of kidnap victims, were recovered,” Chinaka said.
According to her, investigations have commenced to identify the deceased and establish the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The Command said it has continued surveillance around the area while stepping up efforts to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Afolabi, said the Command would continue intelligence-led operations targeting criminal elements across Abia State.
Afolabi declared that Abia would remain a “no-hiding place” for criminals and called on residents to promptly share information about suspicious activities with the police.
He also emphasised that cooperation from the public remained essential to tackling criminality in the state.