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The Abia State Police Command has uncovered 28 human skulls and other human bones in suspected criminal camps hidden inside forests around Isuochi and Nneato communities in Umunneochi Local Government Area
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The remains were recovered during intelligence-led raids on two suspected criminal camps around Umuaku and another location in Nneato on Sunday, September 27, 2026
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Police suspect some of the remains could be those of kidnapping victims, but the command stressed that the identities of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding their deaths have not been established.
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The discovery has triggered a manhunt for the fleeing suspects, with the police deploying specialised units to track them while maintaining surveillance of the forests.
September 29, (THEWILL) – The Abia State Police Command has uncovered a grim scene in a forested area of Umunneochi Local Government Area after its operatives recovered 28 human skulls and other bones from suspected criminal camps around Isuochi and Nneato communities.
The discovery was made on Sunday, September 27, 2026, during an intelligence-led security operation carried out under the command’s “Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the State.”
The command’s spokesperson, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday, saying the operation was targeted at suspected criminal hideouts in the forest.
According to her, the operation involved personnel drawn from the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and Isuochi Police Headquarters.
Chinaka said the operatives, acting on intelligence, raided suspected criminal camps around Umuaku and another location in Nneato. She said the suspected occupants of the camps fled before the arrival of the security operatives.
The abandoned camps were subsequently searched, leading to the discovery of human remains.
“A total of twenty-eight (28) human skulls and bones, which we suspect are kidnap victims, were recovered,” Chinaka said, adding that some of the remains had already decomposed.
The discovery has prompted investigations to determine the identities of the deceased, the circumstances surrounding their deaths and whether the remains are linked to reported cases of kidnapping or other violent crimes in the area.
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Despite the discovery, the police said no arrest had been made in connection with the remains as the suspected occupants of the camps escaped before the arrival of the operatives.
The command said efforts had been intensified to track down the fleeing suspects and dismantle their networks.
“Investigation is ongoing, while monitoring of the area continues, and efforts are high to catch the suspects who are on the run,” Chinaka said.
The police said surveillance of the affected forests would continue as investigators work to gather evidence that could lead to the identification and arrest of those responsible.
The command urged members of the public, particularly residents of communities around Isuochi, Nneato and Umuaku, to provide credible information about suspected criminal activities and missing persons.
It said information from residents could assist investigators in identifying the victims, locating the fleeing suspects and establishing the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The police assured residents that operations would continue in the affected areas as the command intensifies efforts to flush suspected criminal elements out of their forest hideouts.
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