The Abia State Police Command has recovered 28 human skulls and other bones during a raid on suspected criminal camps in the forests of Umuaku-Isuochi and Nneato in Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state.

The operation, conducted on Sunday, involved operatives from the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and Isuochi Police Headquarters.

According to the police, the suspects occupying the camps fled as the security operatives arrived, leaving the hideouts deserted.

A search of the abandoned camps subsequently led to the discovery of the human remains, some of which were already decomposed.

Police spokesperson, Maureen Chinaka, said the remains were suspected to be those of kidnapping victims, although investigations were still ongoing to establish their identities and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

“Twenty-eight human skulls and bones, which we suspect are kidnap victims, were recovered,” Chinaka said.

No arrest has been made, as the suspected occupants escaped before the arrival of the operatives.

The police said investigations and surveillance of the area had been intensified, while efforts were underway to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.