By Tony Adibe, Enugu
A human rights body, Amnesty International, has passed a damning verdict on the Nigerian police unit, “Tiger Base,” demanding its immediate ban, while operatives involved in alleged unlawful detention, murder, torture, and ill-treatment of suspects, as well as arresting people to extract lucrative bribes, should be held accountable.
Established under Governor Hope Uzodinmma-led administration to fight kidnapping and armed robbery in Imo State, the famous or infamous “Tiger Base” functions from its, some say, dreaded and horrible base in Owerri, Imo State, capital, and has been severely accused of gross human rights breaches, according to Amnesty International (A.I).
Amnesty International said the Nigerian authorities must establish an independent investigation into the atrocities committed by the Tiger Base unit and bring those responsible to justice. Police officers at Tiger Base must comply with the law and respect human rights.
At the launch of a 35-page comprehensive report on the activities of the police unit in Imo State, entitled “TIGER BASE OF ATROCITIES: Human Rights Violations By Nigeria Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Owerri”, at Carton Swiss Grand Hotel, Enugu, Amnesty International also alleged that detainees are cramped in dirty, windowless cells and subjected to regular beatings.
The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Mr. Isa Sanusi, who presented the report, told the gathering: “We are presenting our new report on Tiger Base, a security centre in Imo State, where a lot of atrocities are committed. We have been receiving reports and complaints from people about Tiger Base…Human rights violation is prohibited by international law.”
He explained that the comprehensive report on Tiger Base spanned to December 2025, during which the rights body conducted 23 interviews with 19 of the victims, family members, relatives, individuals, and groups.
He added that the Rights body submitted the report to the police authorities, which acknowledged it on 17 February 2026, with an indication that they will investigate the issues raised.
Sanusi also said: “Many are locked up for weeks or months without charge, while others have been allegedly shot or forcibly disappeared. “Tiger Base has become synonymous with police operating outside of the law and using their power to allegedly enrich themselves through extortion.”
Sanusi said that survivors of prolonged unlawful detention claimed that they were forced to write incriminating statements under torture, including severe beatings with iron rods and cables. Knives, machetes, batons, water, and whips were also used to torture suspects. Some detainees were tied up with ropes and cut, with their wounds left to bleed.
Amnesty International further accused “Tiger Base” of using Point of Sale (POS) machines to extract bribes from relatives of suspects in exchange for their release. Former detainees claimed that operatives at “Tiger Base” illegally arrest and detain dozens of people every day with the sole aim of extorting money from their victims.
One survivor told Amnesty International, “They arrested me, insisting I bought stolen items. I told them I didn’t know anything about it. They locked me up and seized my phone. After about three weeks, a police officer came to take my statement. Still, they kept me locked up… They later told us that the complainant claimed her loss was worth N14 million (US$9,500) but that she agreed to collect N4.5 million (US$3,100) instead.”
Sanusi also spoke about the condition of the detention cells in which detainees are kept. He said that the conditions in the detention cells are inhumane, with over 70 people allegedly squeezed into 12-foot by 12-foot cells. Detainees are forced to take turns sitting or squatting, and the stench is unbearable. Former detainees reported seeing their cellmates passing out from overcrowding, intense heat, and exhaustion.
According to the 35-page report, several people have reportedly died in the Tiger Base detention centre, including Okechukwu Ogbedagu, who was handed over to the unit by three youth leaders in 2022. An autopsy report showed that he died of asphyxiation, and the police officers involved have been accused of covering up their atrocity.
Yet in another critical case, Japhet Njoku, a security guard, reportedly died in Tiger Base detention on or around May 5, 2025. Police officials told his family members that he was beaten to death in his cell, but they have frustrated attempts to conduct an autopsy, according to Sanusi.
Sanusi said further: “The atrocities committed by the Tiger Base police unit is yet another sign of the Nigerian authorities’ failure to end widespread torture, extrajudicial execution, extortion, and other crimes at the hands of law enforcement.”
He recalled that the #EndSARS protests in 2020 highlighted the need for police reform, but the Nigerian government has failed to take meaningful action. He said instead, corrupt police officers have been emboldened to commit human rights abuses with impunity.
He said that the international community must take action to hold the Nigerian government accountable for the human rights abuses committed by the Tiger Base police unit. The Nigerian government must prioritize human rights and the rule of law, and ensure that police officers are trained to serve and protect, not to torture and extort or to brutally murder suspects without a court trial.
According to Amnesty International, the families of victims deserve justice and reparations for the atrocities committed against their loved ones, while the Tiger Base police unit must be disbanded, and its officers held accountable for their crimes.
In his remark, the chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, who was represented by Igwe Anichebe, expressed delight for the report, saying : “We’re happy for this gathering; the purpose is very well understood. We pray for God’s continued guidance for the good job you are doing.”
One of the panelists, Barrister Chinedu Agu, said: “Everything you have seen in this report is true. Most of the victims in the report are my clients. I know them.”
Agu also said: “What is sad about this is the complicity of the Nigerian judiciary in Imo State; if I tell you the complicity of the judiciary in Imo State, you will be shocked….In Imo State, Tiger Base works hand-in-glove with the Imo State judiciary.”
The Executive Director of RULAAC, Mr. Okwuchukwu Nwanguma, lauded Amnesty International for carefully recording the statements of victims.
Nwanguma said that the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, is allegedly behind the notorious Tiger Base. The police authorities in Imo State are afraid of Tiger Base.”
According to Nwanguma, “When torture becomes a lucrative enterprise and detention becomes an opportunity for extortion, policing is no longer policing.”
He lauded the courage of victims, “who are speaking out; the media for projecting the sad developments at Tiger Base to the world.”
