Amnesty Exposes Alleged Torture, Extortion, Deaths at Imo Police Tiger Base

Amnesty Exposes Alleged Torture, Extortion, Deaths at Imo Police Tiger Base

Amnesty International has released a damning report accusing operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Imo State, popularly known as Tiger Base, of engaging in systemic torture, extortion, prolonged detention without trial and deaths in custody.

The report, unveiled in Enugu, described the Owerri-based facility as a unit that has “veered far from its original mandate” of combating kidnapping and now allegedly operates as a centre for widespread human rights abuses.

Amnesty said its findings were based on three research missions conducted between May 2025 and February 2026, during which it interviewed 19 survivors, former detainees and relatives, alongside a review of legal and medical records.

According to the report, detainees at Tiger Base are frequently held for months and even years without being charged to court, in violation of Nigeria’s Constitution and international human rights obligations. One detainee, identified as Ugbala, was allegedly detained for 809 days without trial, while a woman was reportedly held for 399 days without being formally charged.

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Another survivor, Ndukwe, said he was arrested over allegations of purchasing stolen items but remained in detention despite denying the accusation. He alleged that officers demanded millions of naira from his family in exchange for his release.

Amnesty further alleged that Tiger Base operatives routinely deny detainees access to lawyers, relatives and medical care, effectively isolating them and making them vulnerable to abuse. Families, the organisation said, are often pressured to pay huge sums of money, sometimes running into tens of millions of naira, without any guarantee that their loved ones would be released.

The report also detailed allegations of severe torture and ill-treatment, including beatings with sticks and cables, suspension with ropes, starvation and denial of medical treatment for serious injuries. Female detainees were said to have faced sexual coercion, intimidation and forced labour, including being compelled to work on construction projects within the facility.

Amnesty raised alarm over deaths in custody, referencing the 2022 case of Okechukwu Ogbedagu, who was reportedly handed over to Tiger Base operatives and later died while in detention. Former detainees interviewed claimed to have witnessed multiple deaths, attributing them to illness, hunger and physical abuse, with little or no medical intervention.

While the Imo State Police Command has previously dismissed similar allegations as exaggerated and insisted that Tiger Base operates within the law, Amnesty said there has been no transparent investigation or accountability for the reported abuses.

The rights organisation called on federal and state authorities to immediately investigate the allegations, suspend officers implicated in abuses and ensure that Tiger Base facilities are opened to independent inspection. It also urged the Imo State Government to amend sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (2020) to ensure detention without court approval does not exceed 24 to 48 hours.

Amnesty warned that failure to act could further erode public trust in law enforcement and deepen insecurity in the South-East.

Amnesty Exposes Alleged Torture, Extortion, Deaths at Imo Police Tiger Base