Abia Police Recover 28 Skulls and Bones From Suspected Kidnappers’ Camps in Umunneochi Forests
Police in Abia State have recovered the skulls and bones of at least 28 people from suspected criminal camps in forests in the south-east of Nigeria, in a discovery that has sharpened fears about kidnapping gangs operating in remote areas. The Abia kidnap camps were found during a security operation in the Umunneochi area on Saturday.
The remains were discovered in the Umuaku and Nneato forests. According to the Abia State Police Command, the raid was launched after intelligence reports about suspected criminal activity there. Police spokeswoman Maureen Chinaka said the suspects fled when tactical operatives arrived at the camps. The camps were then dismantled.
In a statement, Chinaka said 28 human skulls and bones, suspected to belong to kidnap victims, were recovered. The police announced the find on Sunday, a day after the operation. Officers suspect the remains are those of kidnapping victims, but forensic and other investigations are continuing to establish who they were and how they died. Nothing has been confirmed about their identities.
The command said monitoring of the area continues and that efforts have been intensified to arrest the suspects who escaped. Police have also asked residents to report suspicious activity and security concerns. They are trying to determine whether the remains are linked to unresolved kidnapping cases in the region. Families of missing persons may hope for answers, though officials have not said whether any relatives have come forward.
The discovery is likely to revive worries about kidnapping gangs that use remote forests as hideouts across parts of the South-East. Criminal groups in the area have often targeted motorists, travellers and residents for ransom, using the dense terrain to avoid detection.
The finding came during a weekend of fresh abductions elsewhere in the country. Reports citing AFP said armed men seized at least 47 farmers who were harvesting peanuts in Niger State on Saturday, while about 40 women were kidnapped in neighbouring Zamfara State on Sunday. AFP put the number of people missing after the two attacks at no fewer than 87, most of them women. The Nigerian Army said it foiled two other abduction attempts in Zamfara on Sunday.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative business for armed groups in parts of the northwest and north-central regions. Research by the Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence estimated that armed groups collected about 7.8 billion naira, close to $6 million, in ransom between July 2025 and June 2026. That is more than three times the 2.6 billion naira recorded in the same period a year earlier. In August, gunmen were reported to have abducted as many as 600 worshippers at a mosque in Dekera village, Niger State.
Security analysts say tackling the problem requires more than raids. Community intelligence, better protection for rural roads and farms, and action against the networks that fund and shelter kidnappers are all seen as necessary.
For now, attention in Abia will turn to the investigation and to whether police can identify the victims and track down the fleeing suspects.
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