A scathing new human rights dossier has sparked renewed national outrage over alleged abuses at the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, widely known as Tiger Base, with civil society groups claiming at least 200 deaths in custody and systematic disregard for due process.
The report — titled “Tiger Base Files: Systematic Torture, Extrajudicial Killings, and the Collapse of Police Accountability in Imo State” — was formally submitted to Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, following a high-profile press briefing by the Coalition Against Tiger Base Impunity (CAPTI) in Abuja. CAPTI alleges that Tiger Base has become “synonymous with death, torture, and disappearance” since 2021, with the real toll likely higher than documented. Copies of the report were also sent to the United Nations (UN) special rapporteurs, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the ECOWAS Court and diplomatic missions.
According to the petition, CAPTI claims that between January 2021 and November 2025, at least 200 detainees died while being held at Tiger Base — many under suspicious circumstances involving torture, denial of medical care, and extrajudicial executions. Former detainees described nightly executions, sometimes involving multiple victims, with bodies secretly removed and families kept in the dark.
Among the cases highlighted is that of Japhet Njoku, a 32-year-old security guard who died in custody on May 5, 2025 after weeks of alleged torture over an unproven allegation. Investigators say police obstructed court orders for an autopsy and witnesses.
Civil liberties advocates also cite documented instances of enforced disappearances, including that of Reverend Cletus Nwachukwu Egole, arrested in February 2021 and never seen again, and Chinonso Eluchie, a commercial motorcyclist arrested in September 2025 and later labeled a terrorism suspect despite contested evidence.
Beyond alleged killings, CAPTI says the unit engages in large-scale extortion, demanding payments from families — sometimes between ₦200,000 and ₦20 million — to secure detainees’ release, effectively turning justice into a commodity. Detainees who fail to pay are reportedly charged with terrorism or other offenses.
The report also accuses Tiger Base of ignoring court orders and directives from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and even the IGP, keeping suspects in prolonged detention without proper charges and mocking judicial oversight.
Following the petition, CAPTI has demanded written responses within 30 days from the IGP on actions taken to investigate the allegations, discipline implicated officers, and ensure compliance with judicial orders.
Other rights organisations have joined the chorus. The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called for full disclosure of the fate of detainees, independent investigations, and accountability for officers involved in suspected abuse and disappearances.
The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has also petitioned police to shut down Tiger Base, urging a judicial commission of inquiry, prosecution of violators, and comprehensive police reforms to safeguard detainee rights.
The Imo State Police Command has categorically denied allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings, and organ harvesting, branding them false, exaggerated or malicious. Spokesperson DSP Henry Okoye said Tiger Base operations comply with the law and highlighted the unit’s role in dismantling major kidnapping and criminal networks.
In response to public pressure, the Command announced the creation of a Human Rights Desk within the unit to strengthen oversight and transparency — a move it says demonstrates accountability.
Recently, a former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, Mr. Chinedu Agu, who has often lamented the activities of the Tiger Base operatives, wrote a satire in Nigerian Pidgin English where he spoke of the activities of Policemen at the Base.
The controversy has ignited intense debate nationwide. While police defenders and some youth groups argue that Tiger Base plays a vital role in combating insecurity, critics say alleged abuses — if verified — erode public trust, violate constitutional rights, and risk deepening already volatile security challenges in Imo State.
As of December 2025, no senior Tiger Base officer has been criminally charged in connection with the allegations, and calls for independent investigations continue to grow louder across civil society and international human rights networks.
