Obor community security coordinator reportedly abducted by civilian, handed to police at Tiger Base for torture
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called on the Imo State Police Command to immediately disclose the reasons for the arrest and continued detention of Mr. Okolie Christian Mmaduabuchukwu, Security Coordinator of Obor Autonomous Community, Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, and to investigate the circumstances surrounding his reported abduction before he was taken into police custody.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC said it received credible information on the night of August 5, 2026, that Mr. Okolie was allegedly seized from his residence in Obor Autonomous Community, Umutanze, Orlu LGA, by one Chibuike Duru, popularly known as Nwamgbenta, accompanied by unidentified persons. The organisation said his whereabouts were unknown at the time, prompting it to issue an urgent public alert and notify the Imo State Police Command and other relevant security agencies.
RULAAC said that following its inquiries with police authorities in Imo State, including officers at the Tiger Base facility, members of Mr. Okolie’s family confirmed that he was allowed to make a phone call during which he informed them he was being held at Tiger Base.
The organisation said the family has since received information suggesting that Mr. Okolie has allegedly been subjected to severe torture while in custody, and that but for RULAAC’s prompt public alert following his reported abduction, he might have been killed or forcibly disappeared. RULAAC described the allegations as grave and requiring urgent, independent investigation.
RULAAC said it has received information from legal practitioners and community members indicating that Mr. Duru is facing allegations in pending proceedings before the High Court sitting in Njaba, involving the alleged disappearance of several persons. The organisation added that it has also received reports that Duru has previously been arrested on multiple occasions following complaints by members of the Njaba community and diaspora, but was each time released under circumstances that have fuelled public suspicion.
RULAAC further alleged that there are longstanding claims that Duru has operated an illegal detention facility, unlawfully detained individuals, and has been linked to enforced disappearances and other serious crimes in parts of Njaba Local Government Area, as well as allegations that he has operated from facilities associated with the Njaba LGA security structure. The organisation stressed that while these allegations remain to be established through due process, they are too serious to be ignored and warrant a comprehensive criminal investigation.
RULAAC said that if Mr. Okolie was indeed taken from his residence by Duru and his associates before ending up in police custody, the police owe the public an explanation, warning that the Nigeria Police Force must not permit private actors, vigilante leaders, or politically connected individuals to exercise powers of arrest, detention, or punishment outside the framework of the law.
The organisation called on the Commissioner of Police, Imo State, to immediately inform Mr. Okolie’s family of the offence, if any, for which he is being detained. It also demanded that the police guarantee his safety and protect him from further torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
RULAAC also called for the conduct of a thorough, impartial, and independent investigation into the alleged activities of Chibuike Duru, including allegations of unlawful detention, enforced disappearances, kidnapping, torture, and any possible official protection or collaboration.
RULAAC said no individual, regardless of influence or connections, should be permitted to operate above the law or use state institutions to settle personal scores, adding that no law enforcement agency should become a refuge for persons accused of serious human rights abuses or criminal conduct.
