Reports of serious mistreatment have grown around the Imo State Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit, known as “Tiger Base” in Owerri. Created to fig...
Reports of serious mistreatment have grown around the Imo State Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit, known as “Tiger Base” in Owerri. Created to fight kidnapping and violent crime, the facility now faces accusations from lawyers, former detainees, families, and human rights groups.
Alleged abuses include prolonged arbitrary detention without court hearings, torture (beatings, electric shocks), extortion via cash or POS payments for release, overcrowded cells, and deaths in custody. Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have documented patterns of these violations. Local groups like FENRAD and CAPTI claim the unit operates above the law, breaching the Constitution and the 2017 Anti-Torture Act.
One notable case is Japhet Njoku, a security officer who died in custody. Civil society estimates over 200 deaths or disappearances in recent years, though these remain unverified. The controversy highlights wider issues of police accountability in Nigeria, echoing the EndSARS protests. Activists continue to demand independent investigations, justice for victims, and security sector reform.
Written by
Uche Mba
Edited by
Obiageli Mboma
Enugwu State Media Team
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