Again, Tiger Base Faces Integrity Allegations Amidst Worsening Insecurity in Imo

Worsening insecurity in Imo State compelled Governor Hope Uzodimma, following the proscription of the much-vilified SARS unit, to establish a special security outfit that eventually became known as the Tiger Base Unit. The unit’s current commander is ACP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, popularly known as Ola. In Imo State, many say that the fear of Ola has become the beginning of safety.

Although Tiger Base is composed of police officers, it does not, in practice, report directly to the Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Aboki, even though the commissioner is, in principle, responsible for the activities of the Imo State Police Command.

Almost on a daily basis, allegations trail the operations of the Tiger Base Unit. These accusations range from illegal arrest and prolonged detention to torture, extortion, and the forcing of confessional statements under duress. Many individuals who have had cause to visit Tiger Base allege that the facility is characterised by inhumane conditions and treatment that no human being should be subjected to.

One such case involves Chief Godwin Ibeh, a native of Umunokwu Okwuato, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area. His second son, Chibuike, was alleged to have defrauded friends and close relatives of tens of millions of naira in a failed deal involving the purchase of designated vehicles from Cotonou, Benin Republic.

After the deal collapsed, Chibuike reportedly went into hiding. His business partners, unable to reach him, reported the matter to the Tiger Base Unit. Operatives of the unit subsequently stormed Chief Ibeh’s residence in the early hours of a Sunday and whisked him away. All efforts by his family and associates to secure his release proved abortive until a substantial sum of money was allegedly paid as bail. Chief Ibeh was detained for about three months before his eventual release.

Another notable case is that of Dr Afam Echi, a journalist, writer, and social crusader. Echi’s alleged offence stemmed from his open identification with African traditional religion and Igbo cultural beliefs, which he openly promotes in opposition to Christianity and foreign ethos.

Echi, a PhD holder and online television anchor, operates an altar that serves as his place of worship. However, his kinsmen in Ogwa, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, reportedly labelled the altar an “evil shrine,” marking the beginning of his ordeal. The community petitioned the Tiger Base Unit, accusing him of being an evil priest who prepares charms for IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Tiger Base operatives allegedly stormed and ransacked Echi’s village home, arrested his wife, and carted away sensitive personal items, including laptops and important files. The matter is currently before a court of law.

Amid rising public outcry over the activities of the Tiger Base Unit, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Henry Okoye, has come out strongly in defence of the anti-kidnapping squad, insisting that the allegations against it are false and baseless.

However, Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has faulted the PPRO’s claims.

In a statement made available to journalists in Owerri, Nwanguma noted that despite ongoing attempts at image laundering, Tiger Base still has serious questions to answer.

According to him, “The statement issued by the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer dismissing a viral video alleging torture, organ trafficking, and extrajudicial killings at Tiger Base deserves careful consideration. It is entirely possible—and indeed likely—that the particular video in circulation is false, exaggerated, or maliciously packaged. Misinformation is a growing challenge, and it is responsible policing for the command to clarify facts, correct distortions, and warn against the weaponisation of falsehoods.”

He added, “However, what cannot be dismissed—and what the PPRO’s statement conspicuously avoids—is the undeniable, well-documented pattern of egregious human rights violations committed by operatives of Tiger Base over the past three years.”

Nwanguma stressed that while the police may record operational successes, such achievements cannot erase misconduct.

“The police spokesperson highlights that the Anti-Kidnapping Unit has dismantled several notorious kidnapping and armed robbery syndicates, contributing to improved security in Imo State. This may be true, and credit should be given where due. However, no number of operational successes can justify torture, extortion, enforced disappearances, or extrajudicial killings. A unit can achieve results and still commit atrocities. The two realities are not mutually exclusive.”

He further explained that the core issue lies in Tiger Base’s operations outside established security rules and ethical standards.

“For years, RULAAC and other observers have documented consistent abuses at Tiger Base: unlawful arrests over civil disputes, denial of access to lawyers and families, detention without trial, torture as a method of investigation, extortion as a condition for release, and, in some cases, suspicious deaths and disappearances. These are not rumours—they are supported by petitions, sworn statements, medical reports, and repeated appeals for intervention.”

To buttress his claims, Nwanguma cited several cases, including that of Izuchukwu Madueke, who was arrested in 2023 over a civil business dispute, detained in violation of Section 32 of the Police Act, and released only after alleged extortion. He also referenced two young men arrested “in error” at an ATM, tortured despite acknowledgment of wrongful arrest, and freed only after paying money, as well as other victims who reported beatings, starvation, denial of bail, and threats of death.

According to Nwanguma, these cases reveal a unit operating without functional oversight and in blatant disregard of the Police Act 2020 and the Anti-Torture Act 2017.

He also criticised what he described as selective enforcement of the law, noting that while the PPRO warned against the spread of false information under the Cybercrime Act 2015, there appeared to be little urgency in addressing allegations of torture, unlawful detention, extortion, and enforced disappearance by police officers.

Nwanguma further condemned the establishment of a Human Rights Desk within Tiger Base, describing it as inadequate.

“A human rights desk inside the same unit accused of abuses risks being symbolic rather than effective. Oversight must be independent. Only the Police Service Commission, the Complaints Response Unit, and the National Human Rights Commission can credibly perform that role.”

On misinformation, he observed that while the police are right to challenge falsehoods, addressing misinformation without confronting the systemic violations that fuel public distrust is insufficient.

“The concerns about Tiger Base will not disappear simply because a video is proven false. They will only disappear when the unit stops operating like an untouchable enclave and starts functioning as a law enforcement agency bound by law.”

He concluded by calling for accountability, which he described as the only path to credibility.

“If the Imo State Police Command wants the public to stop believing the worst about Tiger Base, the solution is simple: stop giving the public reasons to believe the worst. Until officers who torture, extort, or unlawfully detain citizens are exposed, prosecuted, and removed from service, no amount of official denials will erase the lived reality of victims.”