The Abia State Police Command says it has dismantled suspected criminal camps in the forests of Umuaku and Nneato in Isuochi, following intelligence-led operations in the area.
The operation was conducted on Saturday by personnel from the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and Isuochi Divisional Police Station.
According to a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Maureen Chinaka, on Sunday, the security teams conducted a search of the suspected camps after receiving intelligence about their activities.
The police said the occupants fled after sighting the operatives.
During the operation, officers recovered 28 human skulls and other bones from the camps. The remains are suspected to belong to victims of kidnapping, although the identities of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding their deaths have not been established.
The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Wilfred Afolabi, said an investigation into the discovery is ongoing.
He added that the command had intensified efforts to locate and arrest the suspects who escaped from the camps.
Afolabi also urged residents to provide the police with information about suspicious activities in their communities.
The police said operations would continue in parts of the state as efforts to disrupt criminal activities are intensified.
