Group petitions Imo Gov to shut down Tiger Base amid claims of over 200 deaths, torture
By Ishaya Ibrahim
A civic assembly group focused on good governance in Igboland, Oganihu, has petitioned Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, demanding urgent intervention, thorough investigation, and the outright disbandment of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, known as Tiger Base, over a litany of alleged grave human rights abuses.
In a petition dated February 23, 2026, and signed by Prof. Chijioke Uwasomba and Chido Onumah, the group accused the police unit of systematic torture, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, prolonged arbitrary detention without trial, large-scale extortion, and sexual and gender-based violence.
According to the petitioners, they relied on years of documented survivor testimonies, family accounts, legal practitioner reports, journalistic investigations, and advocacy by groups such as the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and the Coalition Against Police Torture and Impunity (CAPTI). The information gleaned from the sources, according to the petition, revealed that between 2021 and 2025, at least 200 persons may have died or disappeared in custody at the facility.
Among the highlighted cases are Japhet Njoku, Magnus Ejiogu, Ekene Francis Elemuwa, Pastor Chinedu, Reverend Cletus Nwachukwu, Onuocha Johnbosco, Sunday and Calista Ifedi, and Mmesoma Chukwunyere. In several instances, families were reportedly not notified of deaths, while bodies were allegedly withheld or remain unaccounted for.
“Survivors described routine torture methods including severe beatings, electric shocks, suspension by limbs, prolonged incommunicado detention, and denial of access to lawyers and family. Medical assessments are said to corroborate injuries consistent with such treatment,” the petition stated.
A particularly harrowing case cited in the petition is that of Linus Onyewuchi Anyanwu, who died in custody in May 2021 after arrest alongside his pregnant daughter, Melody Eberechi Anyanwu. The petition alleges Melody was severely beaten, leading to miscarriage, before transfers between facilities without proper charges.
It said female detainees face additional vulnerabilities, with allegations of sexual coercion of relatives seeking bail, attempted rape, forced domestic labour, and prolonged detention. It cited the case of Gloria Okolie whom the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled in her favour, confirming unlawful detention and degrading treatment.
The group further accused the Tiger Base of extortion, with families allegedly paying between N200,000 and N20 million for releases, even in civil disputes, and operating outside constitutional safeguards by holding people for months without court appearances.
It said multiple prior petitions to the Inspector-General of Police, Police Service Commission, and National Human Rights Commission have yielded no known prosecutions or conclusive investigations, while oversight efforts, including a June 2025 visit by the National Preventive Mechanism, were reportedly obstructed.
Oganihu demanded that Governor Uzodimma publicly condemn torture and unlawful detention, establish an independent, time-bound judicial commission of inquiry and immediate suspension and prosecution of implicated officers.
It also called for prompt charging to court or release of all unlawfully detained persons, forensic audits of detention and morgue records, witness protection for survivors and families, and reparations to victims.
