Amnesty accuses Imo police anti-kidnapping unit of torture, unlawful killings
Amnesty International has accused operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Imo State, popularly known as Tiger Base, of torture, extortion, prolonged detention and deaths in custody.
The allegations are contained in a report presented on Wednesday in Enugu, where the organisation said the unit, set up to combat kidnapping, had strayed from its mandate and become associated with systemic abuse.
Amnesty said it conducted three research missions to Owerri between May 2025 and February 2026, interviewing 19 survivors and relatives of victims. It alleged that many detainees were held for weeks, months or even years without being charged to court.
Among the cases cited were that of a detainee identified as Ugbala, allegedly held for 809 days, and a woman said to have spent 399 days in custody. Another detainee, Ndukwe, claimed he was arrested over allegations of purchasing stolen items and remained detained despite denying wrongdoing.
Ndukwe alleged that officers later told him the complainant valued the items at ₦14 million but agreed to accept ₦4.5 million, adding that his family was asked to pay the amount to secure his release.
The report further alleged that detainees were denied access to lawyers and relatives, while families were frequently extorted. One survivor claimed his relatives paid more than ₦30 million in instalments during his detention of over two years.
Amnesty also described what it termed a pattern of torture and degrading treatment, alleging that detainees were beaten and subjected to other forms of ill-treatment. It raised concerns over alleged deaths in custody, including the case of Okechukwu Ogbedagu, who reportedly died in detention in 2022.
The organisation called for an independent investigation into the allegations and urged authorities to allow oversight of the facility. Neither the Imo State Police Command nor the Force Headquarters had responded to the report as of the time of filing this report.
