Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Imo State, Nigeria — A longstanding and bitter dispute over a traditional shrine in Uru, Isi Ogwa autonomous community, Mbaitoli Local Government Area has escalated into allegations of religious persecution, unlawful arrests and torture, with practitioners of indigenous religion accusing the elite Tiger Base police unit and local Christian-aligned leaders of targeting them because of their faith. The controversy has drawn widespread attention, human rights concerns and renewed debate over religious freedom and state intervention in local disputes.
Members of Nde Odinala Uru, a community group devoted to indigenous spiritual practices, say the crisis stems from the destruction of their sacred shrine during a Christian “Solemn Assembly” in 2006. According to worshippers, the demolition included the burning of critical religious artefacts — including Abo Ala, Ofo symbols, elephant tusks and masquerade heads that formed the core of their spiritual identity and customary rites. Those losses have lingered as a flashpoint for grievance in the community for nearly two decades.
Traditional worshippers allege that community leaders, local Christian organisations and police operatives from the Tiger Base unit in Owerri have worked in concert to marginalise and criminalise their faith. They claim that a peaceful appeal for shrine restoration in 2023 went unanswered, prompting them to seek arbitration through a shrine in nearby Oguta. That move, they assert, angered local leadership and fuelled a coordinated campaign aimed at their group.
According to testimonies from victims and relatives, the conflict took a dramatic turn in May when Tiger Base operatives carried out pre-dawn raids on Uru homes, acting on a petition that described members of the traditional community as a “criminal gang.” Witnesses said dogs were reportedly used to track individuals, and numerous arrests were made in heavy-handed operations beginning at around 2:30 a.m. on May 16.
Victims say those detained were held at the Tiger Base facility in conditions they described as horrific. Former detainees reported overcrowded cells, lack of sanitation, physical abuse and alleged torture. One woman recounted being held with more than 40 others in a small cell, suffering severe distress and near-suffocation. Several detainees were said to have returned home with illnesses that later affected family members.
“I begged them and told them I had small children at home,” said one former detainee, describing how police allegedly seized her husband’s laptop and left her children unattended in the home before transporting her to the detention centre. Others spoke of daily violence inside the facility, including the regular removal of prisoners beaten until they collapsed.
One former detainee described the Tiger Base facility not as a police station but as a “dungeon” where people were “beaten every night.” Family members of detainees reported that at least one person suffered a mental breakdown while in custody and has since remained psychologically unstable.
Traditional worshippers further accused some community leaders of deliberately labelling them criminals by inserting the name of an alleged gangster into petition documents submitted to the police. They allege this was intended to justify aggressive law enforcement action against them and discredit their claims to cultural and spiritual autonomy.
Adding to their grievances, victims contend that international members of the Uru community living abroad were involved financially in backing actions against them, a claim that has intensified the emotional and communal toll of the dispute.
All detainees were eventually released only after they took legal action against both the Imo State Police Command and community leaders, leading to court proceedings. However, traditional worshippers say they continue to be excluded from community life and decision-making processes, and they are now calling for urgent investigations by civil rights organisations, government bodies and human rights authorities into the operations of Tiger Base and the role of local Christian groups.
The Tiger Base unit — officially the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command — is tasked with combating kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and related crimes. It has drawn sustained public scrutiny and media attention over allegations of human rights abuses in Imo State, though the police command has repeatedly denied claims of torture, unlawful execution or organ harvesting, saying the unit operates within legal protocols and is establishing a Human Rights Desk to enhance oversight.
The Imo State Police Command has previously dismissed viral claims of abuse by Tiger Base as unsubstantiated and designed to undermine efforts to tackle violent crime, stressing that no credible evidence exists to support extreme allegations. Authorities maintain that the unit’s core mission is legitimate and critical to restoring security in the state.
The broader dispute raises significant concerns about religious freedom, cultural rights and policing in Nigeria, where disputes between traditional practices and dominant religious communities sometimes escalate into legal and security crises. Advocacy groups have pointed to similar controversies in other states where traditional worshippers have felt pressured or targeted amid religious intolerance and claims of criminality tied to their beliefs.
Critics of the current situation argue that addressing underlying cultural misunderstandings and interfaith tensions, alongside transparent legal processes and respect for constitutional freedom of worship, is essential to preventing further escalation. They emphasise that any legitimate security action must be balanced with the protection of fundamental rights and the rule of law.
As the legal battle continues and calls for independent investigations grow, Uru traditional worshippers are seeking reinstatement of their shrine and dignified recognition of their cultural heritage, while community leaders insist that peace processes are ongoing and sensitive legal matters constrain public commentary.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments