Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Carmen Diego
A sweeping petition lodged with Hope Uzodimma by civil society organisations accuses the controversial anti-kidnapping unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Imo State of human rights violations so severe that more than 200 people are now missing or feared dead. The document, submitted in Owerri, urgently called on the governor to intervene and investigate alleged abuses linked to the unit known as “Tiger Base,” arguing that its operations have strayed far beyond legitimate law enforcement. The allegations paint a disturbing picture of torture, unlawful detention, extortion, disappearances and deaths in custody that have gone unchecked for years.
Tiger Base, officially the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Imo State Police Command, was created to arrest suspects in kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes. But multiple human rights reports — including a recent investigation by Amnesty International — indicate a systemic pattern of abuses inside its detention facilities. According to Amnesty’s findings, detainees have been kept in overcrowded, filthy and windowless cells, beaten into coerced “confessions,” shot while in custody, and routinely held without access to legal representation or court appearance. Families of those arrested have also been subjected to harassment for seeking information about their relatives’ status.
The civic petition, jointly signed by academic and activist leaders of Oganihu, a people-centred assembly, asserts that between 2021 and 2025 over 200 persons have died or disappeared while detained by Tiger Base, often without charge, trial or transparent record-keeping. It cites investigative documentation and sustained advocacy by groups such as the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and the Coalition Against Police Torture and Impunity (CAPTI) to support its demands for action. The petition also references violations of Nigeria’s constitution and multiple international treaties — including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the United Nations Convention Against Torture — arguing that Imo State remains in breach of its legal obligations unless the unit is investigated and reformed.
According to the petition, Tiger Base operating procedures have included egregious acts such as “systematic torture and cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment; extrajudicial executions and deaths in custody; enforced disappearances; prolonged arbitrary detention without charge; large-scale extortion of detainees and families; sexual violence and gender-based abuse.” Specific cases listed include the deaths of detainees such as Japhet Njoku and Linus Onyewuchi Anyanwu in custody, as well as the alleged loss of pregnancy suffered by Anyanwu’s daughter, Melody Eberechi, after severe beatings. Survivors and relatives have described torture methods that included electric shocks, suspension by limbs, severe beatings and denial of contact with lawyers or family members.
Amnesty International’s recent report extends this catalogue of violations, documenting death from asphyxiation in detention, regular shootings inside cells, and extreme overcrowding that leaves up to seventy detainees crammed into a 12-by-12-foot space. Former detainees have recounted that few held in “Cell 1” — a notorious subdivision of the detention facility — ever emerge alive. The investigation highlights that detainees are frequently arrested without charges, held indefinitely, and coerced into incriminating statements that are then used by officers to extract bribes from families. Some operatives reportedly operate illegal point-of-sale (POS) terminals within the facility to withdraw money directly from detainees’ accounts or those of their relatives.
The petition points to other troubling allegations beyond the detention centre. Families say Tiger Base operatives have intervened in personal disputes and civil matters — such as land or religious disagreements — under the pretext of law enforcement. One recent report claims that a blind traditionalist, Joseph Ottih, and his family were subjected to repeated harassment, extortion and unlawful detention allegedly linked to accusations surrounding traditional religious artefacts in their compound. Advocates argue that the case illustrates how the unit’s authority is being misused to settle private disputes with police involvement.
Previous reports have already laid bare long-standing concerns about Tiger Base’s conduct. Last year, the death of a businessman, Levi Opara, while in custody sparked renewed calls for probe and accountability. Activists and civil society figures described the unit’s conduct toward Opara and others as “barbaric, repulsive and completely unacceptable,” alleging that officers beat and tortured detainees before their deaths. There have been vocal demands for the arrest of specific officers, including those accused of repeated brutalities and associations with extrajudicial killings.
The petitioners now want Governor Uzodimma to publicly condemn unlawful detention practices, suspend and investigate implicated officers, and initiate an independent, time-bound judicial inquiry. They have also called for detainees held beyond constitutional limits to be immediately charged or released, for forensic audits of detention and morgue records, witness protection and reparations for victims and families.
Legal experts stress that Nigerian law requires detainees to be presented before a court within 24 hours of arrest for non-capital offences, a guarantee that appears to have been flouted in numerous Tiger Base cases. Prolonged detention without arraignment violates the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the Anti-Torture Act, among other statutes. Critics argue that the police command’s repeated denial of oversight access undermines transparency and accountability, further eroding public trust in law enforcement.
The ongoing controversy has elevated Tiger Base beyond a localized policing issue into a national human rights concern. Civil society coalitions have previously petitioned Nigeria’s Senate to investigate the unit’s actions, warning that unchecked police power threatens the rule of law and civil liberties. Human rights advocates emphasize the need for structural reform within tactical units and clearer oversight mechanisms to prevent future abuses.
For the families of those affected, the pain is ongoing. Many have been left without closure or answers about missing loved ones. Some have taken to documenting patterns of detention and disappearance to compel government response. Others have mobilised digitally and in public forums to highlight stories that would otherwise remain unseen.
Governor Uzodimma’s administration has not yet publicly responded in detail to the specific claims about Tiger Base contained in the petition. Observers say that a government response — whether through an independent investigation, reforms in police detention practices or public accountability measures — will be closely watched by human rights organisations, legal practitioners and the wider Nigerian public.
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