Critics warn reform mirrors SARS disbandment — same officers, different name
The Imo State Command of the Nigerian Police Force has disbanded the Tiger Base anti-kidnapping unit, along with the Scorpion Unit and Lion Squad, replacing them with a new outfit called the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).
Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso unveiled the new unit Wednesday in Owerri, saying the restructuring was aimed at strengthening operational capacity and improving responses to violent crimes , in line with directives from Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu.
The VCRU is mandated to tackle armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, cultism, unlawful possession of firearms, and other serious offences through intelligence-led policing and rapid-response operations, Bosso said. He described the unit’s personnel as “carefully selected based on competence, discipline, integrity, and operational experience,” adding that they had undergone specialised training in tactical operations, human rights compliance, and professional conduct. Bosso also inaugurated a civilian oversight board for the VCRU, tasked with receiving public feedback, providing oversight functions, and boosting public confidence through transparency and accountability.
Years of Documented Abuse
Tiger Base was originally established to investigate and combat kidnapping-related crimes, but human rights groups say it drifted far from that mandate. Last year, thousands of Nigerians trended the hashtags #ShutDownTigerBaseOwerri and #TigerBaseMustFall, demanding its closure following persistent reports of torture, illegal executions, and other abuses.
In December 2025, the Coalition Against Police Tigerbase Impunity (CAPTI) released a report documenting what it described as systemic violations by the unit. CAPTI alleged that at least 200 people died or disappeared in Tiger Base custody between 2021 and 2025, calling the outfit “a slaughterhouse operating under the Nigeria Police Force, shielded by silence, complicity, and a lack of accountability.” Thirty-five civil society organisations also petitioned the Senate President, calling for a comprehensive investigation.
Reform or Rebranding?
Despite the fanfare surrounding Wednesday’s announcement, critics are drawing uncomfortable parallels to the 2020 disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) following the #EndSARS protests, a unit widely seen as having simply been renamed while its personnel and abusive practices remained intact.
In this case, all former Tiger Base operatives , including its head, ACP Adetiwa Oladimeji , have been retained within the new VCRU. The civilian oversight board, meanwhile, will report to the same police commissioner who repeatedly defended Tiger Base’s actions despite widespread public outcry, raising questions about whether the reforms amount to anything more than a change of name.
