Police Recover 28 Skulls from Abia Kidnap Camps

ABIA — Operatives of the Abia State Police Command have recovered 28 human skulls and assorted human bones from two suspected criminal camps deep in the forests of Umunneochi Local Government Area, in a grim discovery that underscores the deadly scale of kidnapping operations in the area.

The remains were found during an intelligence-led raid on Sunday, September 27, 2026, targeting hideouts around Umuaku-Isuochi and Nneato communities. Police said the camps, believed to have been used by kidnappers and other criminal elements, were abandoned as the suspects fled into the surrounding bush at the approach of tactical teams.

According to a statement by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, the operation formed part of the ongoing statewide campaign titled “Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the State,” ordered by Commissioner of Police Wilfred Afolabi. Units involved included the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and personnel from Isuochi Police Headquarters.

“Upon arrival of the Command tactical operatives at the camps, the suspects ran. The criminal camps were subsequently scattered,” Chinaka said. A search of the deserted sites yielded the 28 skulls and other bones, some already in an advanced state of decomposition.

Police suspect the remains belong to victims of kidnapping who were taken into the forest, though formal identification and determination of the circumstances of their deaths remain under investigation.

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No arrests were made during the raid, as the occupants escaped before security forces could engage them. Chinaka said monitoring of the area continues and efforts to track down the fleeing suspects have been intensified. The Commissioner of Police reiterated the command’s determination to ensure Abia offers no sanctuary to criminals, while appealing to residents to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.

Umunneochi, which borders Enugu and Anambra states and sits along known transit corridors, has long been flagged by security agencies as a hotspot for kidnapping and related violent crime. The latest find adds to a series of discoveries of human remains in forested parts of the local government area in recent times, reflecting the persistent challenge of dismantling entrenched criminal networks operating from remote camps.

Investigations into the identities of the deceased and the full extent of activities at the camps are ongoing.