Demands accountability, searches for missing children
A coalition of human rights organizations and affected families has launched a comprehensive campaign calling for investigations into alleged abuses at a police facility in Owerri, Imo State, releasing an open letter detailing plans for sustained advocacy throughout 2026.
The Coalition Against Police Tiger Base Impunity (CAPTI), coordinated by activist Juwon Sanyaolu, issued a detailed action plan on New Year’s Day outlining legal, political, and grassroots strategies aimed at what they describe as systematic violations at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit facility, locally known as “Tiger Base.”
The coalition alleges that at least 200 individuals have died while in custody at the facility, with five children reported missing, including an infant who was two months old at the time of disappearance. The group also claims seven women were detained for extended periods without trial. “These were citizens arrested, detained, tortured, and killed while in police custody,” the letter states, describing victims as including small business owners, students, and farmers.
The coalition acknowledges that following the launch of their #TigerBaseMustFall campaign two weeks ago, 41 individuals were transferred to correctional facilities and seven women were brought to court after being held for one to two years without trial, according to their account. CAPTI characterizes these moves as evidence that authorities are “afraid” and engaged in a “cover-up” rather than genuine reform.
The campaign plan reads like a roadmap for sustained pressure, beginning with an aggressive legal offensive in the first three months of the year. The coalition intends to file habeas corpus applications for each of the five missing children, naming them specifically in court documents that will demand authorities produce them or explain their whereabouts. Simultaneously, CAPTI plans to initiate criminal prosecutions against officers they’ve identified as involved in alleged abuses, including ACP Oladimeji Adeyeyiwa, whom they name as Commander of Tiger Base, along with several inspectors. The legal strategy extends beyond Nigerian courts to the ECOWAS Court, where the coalition hopes regional pressure might succeed where domestic accountability has allegedly failed. They’re also demanding coroner’s inquests into what they claim are over 200 deaths at the facility.
As spring arrives, the coalition plans to shift focus to Nigeria’s political institutions. The letter outlines sustained advocacy meetings with the President, Inspector-General of Police, and Attorney General, though it’s unclear whether these officials have agreed to such meetings. CAPTI is calling for National Assembly hearings on Tiger Base, hoping to force public testimony and official inquiry. The group plans to mobilize traditional and religious leaders, as well as professional associations like bar associations and medical councils, to add institutional weight to their demands. The strategy appears designed to make ignoring the issue politically costly for those in power.
The summer months will see the campaign take to the streets and communities across Nigeria. The coalition is organizing what it calls “nationwide days of action,” though specific dates haven’t been announced. Community organizing efforts will extend beyond the Southeast, attempting to frame Tiger Base not as a regional issue but as a national crisis that could affect any Nigerian. Youth mobilization features prominently in these plans, deliberately echoing the tactics of the 2020 #EndSARS movement that brought Nigeria to a standstill and forced the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. CAPTI has indicated it will also encourage “cultural and artistic expressions of resistance,” recognizing that music, art, and social media played crucial roles in the success of previous Nigerian protest movements.
The coalition has declared that by year’s end, “Tiger Base as we know it will no longer exist.” The final quarter of 2026 will bring what they’re calling “the final push,” including international solidarity actions coordinated with diaspora communities and human rights organizations worldwide. A major protest at the National Assembly is planned, though no specific date has been set. Throughout the year, the coalition promises to release a comprehensive accountability report documenting their findings. The stated goal is uncompromising: either complete shutdown of the facility or thorough reform with all alleged perpetrators held accountable.
The Nigerian Police Force has not issued an official statement in response to the campaign launch. CAPTI has indicated that documentation has been submitted to the United Nations, the African Commission on Human Rights, and various diplomatic missions. The letter specifically addresses the international community, including diaspora Nigerians, human rights organizations, and diplomatic missions, requesting continued engagement and pressure on Nigerian authorities. “Nigerian authorities respond to international pressure in ways they sometimes do not respond to domestic pressure,” the document states.
The coalition draws explicit parallels to the #EndSARS movement, both in strategy and in diagnosis of the problem. CAPTI argues that disbandment without accountability has allowed similar practices to continue under different structures. “The same officers. The same practices. The same impunity. Just a different name and a different location,” their letter reads. The implication is clear: without sustained pressure and concrete accountability, reform becomes mere rebranding.
The open letter appeals to various sectors of Nigerian society, requesting journalists to investigate, lawyers to offer pro bono support, religious leaders to speak publicly, and citizens to maintain sustained attention on the issue. “This is not someone else’s fight,” the letter states, explicitly rejecting the characterization of Tiger Base as solely a Southeast or Igbo issue. The coalition argues that mechanisms of impunity, once established, can spread anywhere, making this a concern for all Nigerians regardless of ethnicity or region.
CAPTI has established multiple contact channels, including an email address (capticampaign25@gmail.com) and phone number (+234 901 271 5480) for those wishing to join the movement or provide information. The coalition is also requesting financial support, noting that legal cases, victim support, and advocacy campaigns require resources. They’ve indicated a dedicated fund will be established, with details to be shared on their social media platforms.
The letter’s tone oscillates between righteous anger and strategic calculation, between appeals to emotion and detailed tactical planning. It directly addresses multiple audiences: fellow Nigerians are called to action, families of alleged victims are offered solidarity, those in power are warned of consequences, and the international community is asked not to look away. There’s also a preemptive response to skepticism, acknowledging that many Nigerians have grown weary of campaigns that “trend for a week and die.”
Independent verification of the specific casualty figures and claims presented by the coalition has not been possible at the time of publication. The allegations represent serious accusations of human rights violations that warrant thorough investigation by appropriate authorities. The coalition has stated it will maintain transparency throughout the campaign and provide regular updates on developments.
For families like those of Chinenye Obi, who the letter says has been searching for her son Chiemerie for over two years, or Onyebuchi Anyanwu, whose three daughters have allegedly been missing for the same period, the campaign represents perhaps the first organized effort to demand answers. Whether CAPTI’s ambitious year-long strategy will succeed where previous efforts have allegedly failed remains to be seen. But the coalition’s message is clear: they’re prepared for a long fight, and they’re counting on sustained pressure to achieve what they frame as a moral imperative.
“We will not make that mistake again,” the letter promises, referring to what it characterizes as the #EndSARS movement’s failure to ensure accountability after disbandment. Whether 2026 will indeed be “the year Tiger Base falls,” as CAPTI declares, depends on variables beyond the coalition’s control—including the response of Nigerian authorities, the sustainability of public attention, and the ability of a grassroots movement to maintain pressure over twelve months of sustained campaigning.
