The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society, CEHRAWS, has called for a thorough forensic investigation into the discovery of 28 human skulls and bones in suspected criminal camps in the forests of Umuaku and Nneato, Isuochi, Abia State.
The rights group said the discovery raises crucial questions that must be answered by the ongoing police investigation.
These questions include- Who are the deceased? When and how did they die? Under what circumstances were their remains found at the locations? And are the remains actually those of persons killed by kidnappers?
The Abia State Police Command had yesterday, said the remains were suspected to be those of victims of kidnapping, and that the operation was part of the ongoing intelligence-led raids under the command’s ‘Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the state.’
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, further revealed that operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and Isuochi Divisional Police Station participated in the operation.
CEHRAWS, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okoye Chuka Peter, urged the Abia State Police Command to subject the recovered remains to forensic examination, including DNA analysis where practicable, and use other lawful identification procedures to establish the identities of the deceased.
The group cautioned the police against prematurely concluding that the remains belonged to kidnapping victims until forensic and investigative evidence establishes their identities and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
It also urged the authorities to provide families of missing persons with appropriate channels to submit information and pursue possible identification, while ensuring that anyone arrested in connection with the investigation is treated as a suspect until proven guilty by a competent court.
CEHRAWS further called for collaboration among the police, forensic and medical experts, investigators and human-rights institutions to ensure that the deceased are identified and their families receive timely information and assistance.
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“The investigation should go beyond arrests and raids to include preservation of evidence, identification of victims, protection of witnesses, prosecution based on credible evidence and sustained security measures to prevent the suspected criminal camps from being re-established.
“We also call on the police to protect residents from reprisals and unnecessary disruption arising from the operation, while maintaining professionalism and respect for human rights,” Okoye demanded.
CEHRAWS insisted that the discovery of the remains must not become merely another security headline, stressing that every human remain represents a life, a family and a story that must be established through evidence and treated with dignity.
