Remains discovered in forest camps

Police in Abia State, south-eastern Nigeria, recovered the skulls and bones of at least twenty-eight people from the Umuaku and Nneato forests on Saturday following a security operation in the Umunneochi area.

Suspects fled when police arrived

Police spokeswoman Maureen Chinaka said the suspects fled when police arrived at the camps. The criminal camps were subsequently dismantled during the operation.

“Upon arrival of the Command's tactical operatives at the camps, the suspects fled.”

Remains believed to be kidnap victims

Officers suspect the remains belong to kidnapping victims, although forensic and other investigations are ongoing to establish their identities and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Part of campaign against criminal hideouts

Abia state police commissioner Wilfred Afolabi said the operation was part of an ongoing campaign to dismantle criminal hideouts in the state. Police have intensified surveillance in the area to track down those who fled.

Wider kidnapping crisis continues

Over the weekend, more than eighty people, mostly women, were seized in separate mass kidnappings in two states in northern Nigeria. Nearly fifty farmers were abducted in Niger State and about forty women in Zamfara State.

Police seek public help identifying victims

Police have appealed to residents to report suspicious activity and security concerns as efforts continue to identify the victims and determine whether the remains are connected to unresolved kidnapping cases in the region.