Police raid suspected criminal hideouts in Umuaku and Nneato forests as fleeing suspects evade arrest; investigation into recovered remains begins.

Operatives of the Abia State Police Command have uncovered what the authorities described as suspected criminal hideouts in the forests of Umuaku and Nneato communities in Isuochi, recovering 28 human skulls and several bones believed to be linked to victims of kidnapping.

The discovery was made on Saturday, September 26, 2026, during a coordinated bush-combing operation carried out as part of the command’s ongoing intelligence-led campaign against criminal activities across the state.

The operation was conducted under the command’s “Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the State”, an initiative directed by the Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi.

According to the police, personnel drawn from several specialist units participated in the operation. They included operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and officers from the Isuochi Divisional Police Station.

Police said the operatives moved into the forests after receiving intelligence about suspected criminal camps operating in the area.

However, upon sighting the security personnel, the suspects reportedly fled into the surrounding forest, abandoning the camps before the officers arrived at the locations.

The operatives subsequently searched and dismantled the suspected hideouts.

During the search, officers reportedly discovered 28 human skulls and bones, which the police said were suspected to be the remains of victims of kidnapping.

The command said investigations are ongoing to establish the identities of the deceased and determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The police also said security monitoring around the affected areas had been intensified, while efforts were being made to track down and arrest the suspects who escaped during the operation.

Commissioner Afolabi reaffirmed the command’s determination to prevent criminal elements from using forests and other isolated locations as safe havens.

He said the police would continue to sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at identifying and dismantling criminal networks operating within Abia State.

The Commissioner also appealed to residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by promptly reporting suspicious activities and security threats to the nearest police station.

The police statement was issued on Sunday, September 27, 2026, by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.

The command urged residents to provide useful information that could assist investigators in locating the fleeing suspects and uncovering the circumstances surrounding the human remains recovered from the forest.