28 human skulls and bones were recovered from suspected criminal camps in Abia’s Umunneochi forests.
47 farmers were abducted in Niger State while about 40 women were kidnapped in neighbouring Zamfara.
Nigeria’s ransom kidnapping crisis is under scrutiny ahead of the January presidential elections.
Police in southeastern Nigeria have recovered 28 human skulls and bones from suspected criminal camps in Abia state, while at least 87 people, mostly women, were reported abducted in separate attacks in the country’s north over the weekend.
The remains were found in forests in the Umunneochi area as security forces searched camps linked to suspected criminal activity. Police believe the remains may belong to kidnapping victims, but their identities and the circumstances of their deaths have yet to be established. The discovery came as separate attacks in Niger and Zamfara states left at least 87 people reported missing.
28 skulls found in Abia forests
The human remains were recovered on Saturday from the Umuaku and Nneato forests in Abia state during a security operation targeting suspected criminal camps.
The raid followed intelligence reports about criminal activity in the forests. Police said tactical officers moved into the area but the suspects fled when they arrived. The camps were subsequently dismantled.
Abia State Police spokeswoman Maureen Chinaka said 28 human skulls and bones suspected to belong to kidnapping victims were recovered during the operation, the BBC reported.
Police are investigating the identities of the remains and whether they can be connected to unresolved kidnapping cases in the region. Forensic and other investigations are under way to establish who the victims were and how they died.
Police have intensified surveillance in the area while officers search for the suspects who escaped. Abia state police commissioner Wilfred Afolabi said the operation was part of an ongoing campaign to dismantle criminal hideouts in the state.
Authorities have also appealed to residents to report suspicious activity and security concerns as the investigation continues.
The discovery follows previous security raids in Umunneochi in which authorities found decomposing bodies believed to have been linked to kidnapping activities.
87 people reported abducted
The discovery in Abia came as separate mass kidnappings were reported in two northern states over the weekend.
At least 47 farmers were abducted by armed men while harvesting peanuts in Niger State on Saturday, while about 40 women were kidnapped in neighbouring Zamfara state on Sunday.
The attacks took place in the Mariga area of Niger and Yargada in Zamfara. Most of those abducted were women, while the Niger State attack targeted farmers harvesting peanuts.
Al Jazeera, citing AFP, reported that at least 87 people were missing after the two attacks, based on two security reports and a local source.
The kidnappings were attributed to criminal groups commonly known in Nigeria as “bandits”. Such groups have carried out raids on villages, killing residents, looting homes and stealing cattle, while also abducting people for ransom.
Mass kidnappings have become common in parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where armed groups can hold victims until relatives or communities pay money for their release.
The northern attacks are separate from the Abia investigation, where police are trying to establish the identities of the people whose remains were recovered.
Ransom payments rise
Kidnapping for ransom has become an important source of income for criminal groups operating in Nigeria, particularly in areas where armed gangs can use remote locations to hold victims.
Research by Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence found that armed groups collected about 7.8 billion naira, nearly $6 million, in ransom payments between July 2025 and June 2026. The figure was more than three times the 2.6 billion naira paid during the same period the previous year, according to Al Jazeera.
In August, gunmen abducted as many as 600 worshippers during Friday prayers at a mosque in Dekera village in Niger State.
Residents of Niger State protested last Monday over the abduction of hundreds of people who they said remained in captivity a month after gunmen attacked several communities.
The ransom economy has added to pressure on Nigerian authorities over security.
Security under scrutiny before elections
The latest wave of abductions comes a few months before Nigeria’s January presidential elections, with security and the rising cost of living expected to be major issues.
President Bola Tinubu has faced growing criticism over security as armed groups continue to carry out kidnappings in different parts of the country.
In southeastern Nigeria, criminal groups have frequently targeted motorists, travellers and residents for ransom, with remote forests providing locations where victims can be held away from populated areas, the BBC reported.
In Abia, police are now seeking to identify the 28 people whose skulls and bones were recovered and determine whether the remains are linked to previous kidnapping cases. Officers are also trying to locate the suspects who fled during the operation.
Police said efforts to apprehend those suspects had been intensified.
In Niger and Zamfara, authorities are continuing efforts to establish the whereabouts of those abducted in the two attacks.
