RULAAC drags Imo Tiger Base to court over alleged torture of 8 victims, including nursing mothers
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has filed four fundamental rights suits before the High Court of Imo State, challenging alleged torture, unlawful detention and impunity by officers of the Tiger Base Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command.
The cases, scheduled for hearing on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, are filed on behalf of eight victims and may become one of the most significant judicial examinations of police brutality in recent years, RULAAC said in a press statement on Sunday.
According to court filings, seven of the eight applicants allege they spent more than two years in Tiger Base detention without being convicted of any offence.
RULAAC further alleged a pattern where people were arrested not because they committed crimes, but because they were wives, girlfriends, sisters or relatives of persons police wanted.
One of the most cited cases is that of Oneyebuchi Anyanwu, who alleges she was arrested in 2023 with her three infant children over suspected links of her husband to ESN/IPOB. In her affidavit, she said she was separated from the children on arrival at Tiger Base and, as of July 2026 when the suit was filed, still had no information on their whereabouts. She was only arraigned after about two years in detention.
Chinaza Ifeanyi also alleges she was arrested while nursing a two-month-old baby and was separated from the child. She said she was assaulted, forced to sign documents she didn’t prepare, and that officers withdrew ₦30,000 from her bank account using her ATM card without consent. She is suing alongside Munachi Ifeanyi and Chidera Onyemuwa, all alleging detention based on relationships, not offences.
Another suit was filed on behalf of Kenneth Anyanwu, who said he was shot in the abdomen during a police operation despite not being the target. He said he was left bleeding in the boot of a police vehicle for hours before getting treatment. He is asking the court to determine if the use of force was lawful.
The other applicants, Ngozi Ogbonna, Chinenye Obi and Nkechinyere Ogu, also allege unlawful arrest, prolonged detention and violations of constitutional rights.
The suits are backed by sworn affidavits and cite reports by Amnesty International and the Coalition Against Police Tiger Base Impunity (CAPTI), both of which have documented allegations against the unit.
For years, Tiger Base has featured in allegations of torture, prolonged detention without trial and enforced disappearances, RULAAC noted. The group said the August 5 hearing provides the first opportunity for many of those claims to be tested with sworn evidence in court.
RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the cases raise fundamental questions about the limits of police powers, the prohibition of torture, the protection of personal liberty, and whether family members can be arrested because of their relationships.
He added that while respondents are entitled to defend themselves, “accountability demands that allegations of this gravity be subjected to independent judicial scrutiny.
RULAAC is calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Police Service Commission, National Human Rights Commission, NBA, CSOs, media and the public to monitor the proceedings.
“Justice for victims of torture and unlawful detention is indispensable to rebuilding public confidence in policing and reaffirming that no institution or public official is above the Constitution,” Nwanguma said. “The hearing is more than a court date. It is a test of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability and the rule of law.”
