Families demand justice as Nigeria’s anti-kidnapping unit faces accusations of torture, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful detention
What was meant to protect has become what people fear. Tiger Base, the anti-kidnapping unit of the Imo State Police Command, now stands accused of the very brutality it was created to combat. The name alone sends chills through communities across Imo State. Parents warn their children. Traders whisper about those who entered and never returned. And families like the Oparas are left to bury loved ones under circumstances they say reek of murder.
Levi Opara was a 46-year-old businessman and father of five. On October 15, 2023, following a domestic disagreement with his wife, he was arrested and taken to Tiger Base. Three days later, he was dead. The official story? He fell ill and died en route to a police clinic.
The family’s version tells a darker tale. According to his twin daughters, officers repeatedly turned them away when they came seeking their father’s release. “One policeman, Moses, told us that our father would not be released,” one daughter recalled. “He said no amount of money or connection would save him.”
When the family finally insisted on seeing him, they were told he was in a “deep sleep.” The next day, they were informed he had died. An independent autopsy revealed what the police hadn’t disclosed: Levi Opara had been stabbed in the neck. Even more disturbing, the family discovered his body had been embalmed without their authorization—a move they believe was intended to conceal evidence.
Levi’s case is not isolated. It is part of a disturbing pattern that has turned Tiger Base into a symbol of impunity in southeastern Nigeria. In May 2025, Japheth Njoku, a 32-year-old security guard, died in Tiger Base custody. His family was told he was alive even as his body was being secretly moved to a hospital morgue. That same month, Johnbosco Onuocha was approached by men posing as customers. They handcuffed him and drove away. He was never seen again.
In August, fresh graduate Sopuluchi ThankGod Emeka was arrested after a minor argument. Within three days of his transfer to Tiger Base, he was dead. Officers claimed he had killed himself with his bare hands. His father was told not to ask questions. Then there’s Obinna Orji, a 43-year-old businessman who spent eight months detained at Tiger Base despite a court order for his release. His alleged crime? Never clearly established.
“They Kill and Blame IPOB”
Multiple residents have accused Tiger Base officers of using the fight against the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Eastern Security Network as cover for extrajudicial killings.
“These people have killed so many young people and stamped the IPOB label on their bodies,” said Chimezie Okoli, a father of two. “They will abduct and kill people, and the blame will be shifted to IPOB. Every crime becomes ‘IPOB,’ and innocent victims are labeled IPOB members, while the real criminals move freely because we’ve given them the perfect cover.” Chibuenyi, another resident, echoed this sentiment: “A lot of people who went missing in Imo State were not actually kidnapped but taken into custody by Tiger Base. Many who were taken were unarmed, yet they were tagged as ESN or IPOB members. What are their crimes? Where are their lawyers? Have they been tried in court?”
The Man Behind Tiger Base
At the center of the controversy stands Chief Superintendent of Police Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, the Officer-in-Charge of Tiger Base. Multiple reports have documented allegations of human rights abuses under his command.
Investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has called him “a CSP who is more powerful than the CP… a CSP who openly boasts of his ‘friendship with the governor.'” Soyombo suggested that any investigation of Tiger Base that doesn’t begin with Odeyeyiwa would be “a spectacular waste of everyone’s time.”
An X user described their friend’s experience: “He’s a menace in Owerri. One of my friends was a victim and had to pay millions of naira to make bail because it’s either that or indefinite detention in a small cell with thousands… risk getting sick or killed.” The Imo State Police Command has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “false, unfounded, and intended to mislead the public.”
Police Public Relations Officer Henry Okoye stated that Tiger Base is “a legitimate tactical formation” that operates within the law. He dismissed the accusations as “part of a smear campaign by criminal elements affected by ongoing security operations.”
In response to the outcry, Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma has directed the establishment of a Human Rights Desk within the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and invited citizens to submit “genuine complaints” through official channels. But for many Nigerians, these assurances ring hollow. Activist Omoyele Sowore dismissed the police response: “Stop insulting Nigerians by asking for so-called UTTERLY FOOLISH ‘genuine complaints.'”
A Nation Demands Justice
Across social media, Nigerians have united under hashtags like #ShutDownTigerBaseOwerri and #TigerBaseMustFall, demanding the unit’s closure. Thirty-five civil society organizations have petitioned the Senate President, calling for a comprehensive investigation. Some group has demanded Tiger Base be shut down entirely.
“Tiger Base has become a name people fear, not because it protects the innocent, but because of the gruesome, despicable, and lawless brutality constantly linked to it,” said trader Uchenna Ogbu. “No Nigerian deserves to be abducted, tortured, or secretly buried by those sworn to protect us.”
Kachi Ezike added: “It is high time for the Inspector-General of Police to establish a special task force to investigate these allegations. If found culpable, the officers involved should be dismissed and prosecuted according to the
As families continue to demand answers and justice for their loved ones, one question looms over Imo State: How did a unit created to protect citizens from kidnappers become something citizens themselves fear? Until that question is answered—and those responsible held accountable—the shadow of Tiger Base will continue to darken southeastern Nigeria.
