Abia State, Nigeria (Running Africa) — Nigerian police have recovered the remains of at least 28 people from suspected criminal camps in forests in Abia State, as authorities investigate whether some of the dead were victims of kidnapping.

Police said skulls and other human bones were discovered during a security operation targeting suspected kidnapping gangs in the Umuaku and Nneato forests in southeastern Nigeria.

The suspects reportedly fled before officers reached the camps.

Forensic Tests Underway on Remains Found in Abia

Authorities believe some of the remains could belong to people who had been abducted, but police have not confirmed their identities or how they died.

Forensic examinations are underway to identify the remains and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Police have also not disclosed when the victims are believed to have died.

The findings form part of an investigation into suspected criminal activity in the forest areas, which authorities believe may have been used as camps by kidnapping gangs.

Nigeria Continues Fight Against Kidnapping

The discovery comes as Nigeria continues to confront kidnapping and other forms of armed criminality in several parts of the country.

Forested and remote areas can provide hideouts for armed groups, complicating security operations and efforts to rescue abducted people.

The Abia investigation is separate from a series of recent mass abductions reported in northern Nigeria.

More Than 80 Reportedly Abducted in Niger and Zamfara

More than 80 people, most of them women, were reportedly abducted in separate attacks in Niger and Zamfara states over the weekend.

The incidents have renewed attention on insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria, where communities have faced repeated mass kidnappings.

In Abia, investigators are now focused on identifying the recovered remains and determining whether they can be linked to previously reported abductions or other crimes.