By Mohammed Taoheed
A civic group, OGANIHU, has petitioned the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, over what it described as grave and systematic human rights violations at the anti-kidnapping unit of the Nigeria Police Force in the state, popularly known as “Tiger Base”
Addressed to the governor and copied to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the leadership of the National Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission and the media, the group called for the immediate intervention, investigation and disbandment of the unit.
OGANIHU described itself as a “people-centred civic assembly for good governance in Igboland” and said its petition relied on years of documented advocacy and investigative reporting, including campaigns by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and the Coalition Against Police Torture and Impunity (CAPTI).
The petition signed by Chijioke Uwasomba, a professor and Chido Onumah (PhD) comes amid the appointment of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Tunji Disu as Acting Inspector-General of Police by President Bola Tinubu, following the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun.
Mr Egbetokun had resigned from office at the request of Mr Tinubu. The presidency thanked him and welcomed his resignation which was premised on “pressing family considerations.”
Alleged pattern of abuse
OGANIHU alleged that between 2021 and 2025, documentation from survivors, families, legal practitioners, journalists and civil society investigators revealed a consistent pattern of abuse at Tiger Base.
According to the petition, the alleged violations include systematic torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; extrajudicial executions and deaths in custody; enforced disappearances; prolonged arbitrary detention without charge; large-scale extortion; and sexual and gender-based violence.
It claimed that at least 200 persons may have died or disappeared in custody within the period under review.
Among the cases cited were those of Japhet Njoku, Magnus Ejiogu, Ekene Francis Elemuwa, Pastor Chinedu, Reverend Cletus Nwachukwu, Onuocha Johnbosco, Sunday and Calista Ifedi, and Mmesoma Chukwunyere.
In several instances, the petition alleged, families were not formally notified of deaths, while in other cases bodies were reportedly withheld or remain unaccounted for.
Torture and deaths in custody
The petition stated that survivor testimonies consistently described torture as routine practice at the facility.
Allegations include severe beatings, electric shocks, suspension by limbs, prolonged incommunicado detention and denial of access to lawyers and family members. It added that medical assessments reviewed by investigators reportedly corroborated injuries consistent with torture.
The group highlighted the death of Linus Anyanwu in custody in May 2021, following his arrest alongside his daughter, Melody Anyanwu.
According to the petition, Ms Anyanwu who was reportedly four months pregnant at the time, was allegedly beaten severely, resulting in the loss of her pregnancy, while her father later died in detention. She was subsequently transferred between facilities without being properly charged in court.
If established, the group argued, such acts would constitute grave violations of constitutional and criminal law protections.
Sexual and gender-based violence
OGANIHU further alleged that female detainees faced compounded vulnerability. It cited claims of sexual coercion of female relatives seeking bail, attempted rape of female detainees, forced domestic labour for officers and prolonged detention without charge.
The petition referenced the case of Gloria Okolie, who was detained for several months and allegedly compelled to perform domestic labour while in custody.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice adjudicated Ms Okolie’s case and found that she was subjected to unlawful detention and degrading treatment. The court declared the violations unconstitutional and contrary to Nigeria’s human rights obligations, and awarded her compensation.
The group said the judgment demonstrated that, at least in that instance, abuses were judicially confirmed, exposing systemic weaknesses in oversight and accountability.
Arbitrary detention and alleged extortion
The petition further accused Tiger Base of operating “as a parallel detention regime outside constitutional safeguards”.
It alleged that detainees were held for weeks or months without being brought before a court and that families were compelled to pay between ₦200,000 and ₦20 million to secure release, including in matters described as essentially civil disputes.
The case of Nmesoma Chukwunyere, a nursing trainee reportedly detained for months without charge despite a lack of incriminating evidence, was cited as reflective of what the group termed a broader pattern of coercive detention and manipulation of statements.
Alleged obstruction of oversight
OGANIHU said multiple petitions had been submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission and the NHRC, but that there is no publicly known conclusive criminal investigation or prosecution arising from the complaints.
It further alleged that investigators and oversight actors were denied access to detention facilities and that even the National Preventive Mechanism faced obstruction during a June 2025 visit.
Such actions, the group said, undermine transparency and weaken institutional credibility.
Laws and treaties cited
The petition listed several domestic and international legal frameworks it said were violated by the alleged conduct.
These include the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, the Nigeria Police Act 2020 and the Anti-Torture Act 2017.
It also cited 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 and its Optional Protocol, the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), and binding decisions of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
“The problem is not the absence of law, but the failure of enforcement and accountability,” the group said, noting that Nigeria is bound to comply with ECOWAS Court rulings.
Demands for action
OGANIHU urged Mr Uzodimma to publicly condemn torture and unlawful detention practices in the state and to establish or formally request an independent, time-bound judicial commission of inquiry into Tiger Base.
It also called for the immediate suspension and investigation of officers implicated, prosecution where culpability is established, the release or proper charging of detainees held beyond constitutional limits, independent forensic audits of detention and morgue records, witness protection for survivors and families, and reparations for victims.
The group warned that Tiger Base had become emblematic of a broader crisis in policing accountability and cautioned against a repeat of the #EndSARS experience, which it said demonstrated the consequences of allowing abusive police units to operate without oversight.
It requested that the governor acknowledge receipt of the petition and inform the public of steps taken within 14 days.
