Is the Nigeria Police anti-kidnapping operation code-named ‘Tiger Base’ and run by the Imo State Command a torture chamber more than a crime combating operation?
This is the question Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma is being asked to look into by the civil society in Nigeria.
In a petition reminiscent of human rights inspections by the defunct Civil Liberties Organisation in the 1990s, Oganihu – the crusading civil society platform has asked the governor to, as the Chief Security Officer, crosscheck and establish that the operation is not torturing citizens to death, among others.
Operating under the banner of Oganihu, the petitioners are asking Senator Hope Uzodimma to do so because their records of the anti-kidnapping unit has shown it to be a skull cracking and killing field.
The petition signed by two civil society activists – Prof Chijioke Uwasomba and Dr. Chido Onumah – and dated February 23rd, 2026 is reproduced below but without the Oganihu symbol as well as the signature due to the setting of this platform. All other issues and details raised in the petition are, however, intact.
Coming a day after President Tinubu categorically stated his approval for state police, this case will interest more Nigerians beyond Imo State.
His Excellency
Senator Hope Uzodimma
Executive Governor of Imo State,
Government House, Owerri,
Imo State
Your Excellency,
Petition for Immediate Intervention, Investigation and Disbandment of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (“Tiger Base”), Imo State Police Command
We write as concerned citizens under the banner of OGANIHU, a civic people-centered assembly for good governance in Igboland, and in reliance on years of documented advocacy and investigative reporting – including sustained campaigns and documentation by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), the Coalition Against Police Torture and Impunity (CAPTI), and other civil society actors – regarding grave human rights violations at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command, popularly known as Tiger Base.
This petition is copied to the National Human Rights Commission, the leadership of the National Assembly, relevant oversight institutions, and the media in the interest of transparency and public accountability.
- Background and Pattern of Violations
Between 2021 and 2025, extensive documentation from survivors, families, legal practitioners, journalists, and civil society investigators reveals a disturbing and consistent pattern of abuse at Tiger Base.
The findings point to:
- Systematic torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment
- Extrajudicial executions and deaths in custody
- Enforced disappearances
- Prolonged arbitrary detention without charge
- Large-scale extortion of detainees and their families
- Sexual violence and gender-based abuse
Available reports indicate that at least two hundred persons may have died or disappeared in custody within this period.
Among documented cases are:
- Japhet Njoku
- Magnus Ejiogu
- Ekene Francis Elemuwa
- Pastor Chinedu
- Reverend Cletus Nwachukwu
- Onuocha Johnbosco
- Sunday and Calista Ifedi
- Mmesoma Chukwunyere
In many cases, families were not formally notified of deaths. In others, bodies were allegedly withheld or remain unaccounted for.
- Systematic Torture and Deaths in Custody
Survivor testimonies consistently describe torture as routine practice. Allegations include: – Severe beatings
- Electric shocks
- Suspension by limbs
- Prolonged incommunicado detention
- Denial of access to lawyers and family members
Medical assessments reviewed by investigators corroborate injuries consistent with torture.
The death of Mr. Linus Onyewuchi Anyanwu in custody in May 2021, following his arrest alongside his daughter, Melody Eberechi Anyanwu, remains particularly disturbing. Melody, reportedly four months pregnant at the time, was allegedly beaten severely, resulting in the loss of her pregnancy. Her father died in detention. She was subsequently transferred between facilities without being properly charged in court.
If established, these facts constitute grave violations of constitutional and criminal law protections.
- Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Female detainees appear to face compounded vulnerability.
Investigations reveal allegations of:
- Sexual coercion of female relatives seeking bail
- Attempted rape of female detainees
- Forced domestic labour for officers
- Prolonged detention without charge
The reported case of Gloria Okolie – who was detained for several months and allegedly compelled to perform domestic labour while in custody – underscores patterns of gendered exploitation and abuse.
Notably, the ECOWAS Court of Justice adjudicated on Ms. Okolie’s case, finding that she was subjected to unlawful detention and degrading treatment. The Court declared these violations unconstitutional and contrary to Nigeria’s human rights obligations, and awarded her compensation.
This judgment demonstrates that at least in Ms. Okolie’s case, abuses were not merely alleged but judicially confirmed, highlighting systemic weaknesses in oversight, accountability, and the protection of detainee rights.
Such conduct, whether systemic or individual, constitutes serious violations of Nigerian law and binding international human rights obligations.
- Arbitrary Detention and Extortion
Tiger Base appears to have operated as a parallel detention regime outside constitutional safeguards.
Detainees were allegedly held for weeks or months without court appearance. Families were reportedly compelled to pay sums ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦20 million to secure release – including in matters that were essentially civil disputes.
The case of Nmesoma Chukwunyere, a nursing trainee reportedly detained for months without charge despite lack of incriminating evidence, reflects a broader pattern of coercive detention and alleged manipulation of statements.
Your Excellency, these chilling reports, containing shocking violations and breaches, are reportedly happening in the State under your watch.
These allegations, if left unaddressed, deepen public distrust and demand urgent executive attention.
- Obstruction of Oversight
Multiple petitions have reportedly been submitted to:
- The Inspector-General of Police
- The Police Service Commission
- The National Human Rights Commission
There is no publicly known conclusive criminal investigation or prosecution arising from these complaints.
Investigators and oversight actors were reportedly denied access to detention facilities. Even the National Preventive Mechanism allegedly faced obstruction during a June 2025 visit.
Such obstruction undermines transparency, weakens institutional credibility, and deepens public distrust.
- Legal Framework Violated
The alleged conduct violates:
- The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended)
- The Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015)
- The Nigeria Police Act (2020)
- The Anti-Torture Act (2017)
It also contravenes Nigeria’s obligations under:
- The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- The UN Convention Against Torture
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture
- The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules)
- Binding decisions of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, including the judgment in Gloria Okolie v. Nigeria
The problem is not the absence of law, but the failure of enforcement and accountability. Nigeria, as a member of ECOWAS, is bound to comply with the Court’s rulings, reinforcing the need for immediate redress.
7. Urgent Demands
In light of the above, we respectfully call on Your Excellency to:
- Publicly condemn torture and unlawful detention practices in Imo State.
- Establish or formally request an independent, time-bound judicial commission of inquiry into Tiger Base.
- Demand immediate suspension, thorough investigation of officers implicated, and their diligent prosecution, where culpability is established
- Ensure that all detainees held beyond constitutional limits are properly charged or released without delay.
- Facilitate independent forensic audits of detention and morgue records.
- Guarantee witness protection for survivors and families.
- Provide reparations to victims and affected families.
Your Excellency, Tiger Base has become emblematic of a deeper crisis in policing accountability. Continued inaction risks escalating public anger and undermining confidence in government institutions.
The experience of #EndSARS demonstrates the grave consequences of allowing abusive police units to operate without oversight. Imo State must not repeat that trajectory.
We respectfully urge immediate and decisive intervention to restore the rule of law, safeguard the dignity of citizens, and reaffirm that no unit of the state operates above the law.
Kindly acknowledge receipt of this petition and inform the public of steps taken within fourteen (14) days.
Respectfully submitted,
signed Signed
Prof. Chijioke Uwasomba Chido Onumah, PhD
For and 0n behalf of OGANIHU!
Copied to:
+The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission
+The President of the Senate, National Assembly
+The Speaker, House of Representatives
+The Inspector-General of Police
+The Police Service Commission
+The Media
