Abuja / Owerri — December 7, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
A wave of disturbing allegations has once again engulfed Imo State’s controversial Anti-Kidnapping Unit known as Tiger Base, as human-rights organisations and families of victims raise alarm over what they describe as a systemic pattern of torture, unlawful detention, extortion, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances all under a cloak of official silence and impunity.
Documents and testimonies detailed by advocacy group Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and media-investigators expose multiple cases in which individuals were reportedly arrested without cause, held incommunicado, tortured to extract confessions or ransom payments, and in some instances like the tragic death of Japheth Njoku died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Even after a court-ordered inquest and repeated petitions for investigation, accused officers have allegedly refused to appear or comply.
One case involves a businessman, Levi Opara, whose relatives claim he was tortured and stabbed to death while detained at Tiger Base contradicting the official narrative. Another victim, Christian Kelechi Chiwuziem, was reportedly held in secret detention for weeks, his release contingent on a ₦500,000 payment despite the fact that no formal charges were filed.
According to the recent exposé, these are not isolated or sporadic occurrences but representatives of “a consistent pattern, well-documented, widely known and alarmingly normalized.
Yet despite petitions, media coverage, and calls for accountability, authorities have remained silent. The nation’s top human-rights oversight bodies, police oversight commissions, and even domestic human-rights institutions have allegedly failed to respond adequately a silence many see as tacit complicity.
Critics warn that the continued operation of Tiger Base as a “rogue institution” threatens the credibility of Nigeria’s law-enforcement, undermines the rule of law, and breeds deep mistrust between communities and security agencies factors that could precipitate renewed public uprising reminiscent of past protest movements.
Calls have intensified for decisive action, including:
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Immediate suspension and arrest of officers allegedly involved in abuses.
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An independent, transparent investigation by oversight bodies such as the Police Service Commission and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
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Full compliance with national laws on torture, detainee treatment and rights protection — including the Anti-Torture Act and other relevant legal frameworks.
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Transparent prosecution and accountability for all those responsible for custody-related deaths, disappearances, and extortion.
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Protection of whistle-blowers, victims, families and witnesses to prevent further intimidation, harassment, or cover-ups.
The stakes are high: if Tiger Base continues to operate under impunity, many fear the creeping erosion of state legitimacy, and a repeat of national outrage driven by public demand for justice and systemic reform. For now, the victims and campaigners say the window for justice is narrowing and demand that the authorities choose between silence and accountability.