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OWERRI — A police officer attached to the controversial Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, commonly known as Tiger Base in Owerri, has publicly accused her unit commander of threats to life, professional victimisation, and plans to dismiss her from the force, in what she describes as an abuse of power and a climate of fear within the command.
In an exclusive interview with Sahara Reporters published on Saturday, January 3, 2026, the female police staff member who has served at Tiger Base for over five years alleged that tensions erupted after she rejected an alleged personal advance by the unit’s commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa. She claimed that since that incident, the commander has subjected her to “sustained intimidation, humiliation, and professional victimisation.
The officer said she was later transferred from Tiger Base to the Egbema Division on October 18, 2025, a posting she described as dangerous and life-threatening. According to her account, repeated threats of violence have occurred at the new duty post—an issue she says the commander is fully aware of but has failed to address.
Despite assurances that her concerns would be addressed, the complainant alleges that nothing was done, and she later learned that a dismissal letter had already been drafted against her without her knowledge. She said her attempts to reach the commander were rebuffed, with him suggesting that her inquiries were meant to be leaked to activists and social commentators in an effort to tarnish the reputation of Tiger Base.
The officer also reported that ACP Odeyeyiwa openly discussed the alleged dismissal with his partner, and that his close relationship with the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Imo State Government, identified only as CSP Shaba, has created a working environment where both men wield “unchecked power” over subordinate officers.
“I know a lot going on in that office but I am afraid because they are deadly,” the police staff said, expressing fear for her life and that of her family while appealing for urgent intervention to ensure her safety and protect her livelihood.
Her allegations add to longstanding public concern over misconduct within Tiger Base, a unit that has faced repeated scrutiny and allegations of extrajudicial actions. Independent reports from rights observers detail widespread claims of illegal detentions, torture, extortion, and custodial deaths linked to Tiger Base operations over recent years, with calls from civil society groups for accountability and reform.
Efforts by Sahara Reporters to obtain responses from the Imo State Police Command, ACP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, and CSP Shaba were unsuccessful at the time of publication, with no official comment forthcoming on the serious allegations.
This unfolding story underscores growing concerns about police conduct, chain-of-command accountability, and officer welfare within Nigeria’s security agencies, as calls mount for transparent investigations and protective measures for whistleblowers.