The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has filed four fundamental rights enforcement suits against the anti-kidnapping unit of the Imo State Police Command, popularly known as Tiger Base, over allegations including torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance of children, forced labour, extortion and extrajudicial killings.
The cases, lodged before the Imo State High Court in Owerri on July 21, 2026, involve eight applicants and are scheduled for hearing on August 5, 2026.
According to court documents, the respondents include the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, the Commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, ACP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, and several officers attached to the unit.
One of the suits alleges that several women were arrested over accusations connected to their husbands’ alleged activities and detained for extended periods without due process. The applicants claim they were compelled to carry out domestic and manual labour, including cooking, cleaning and construction-related work, while some were separated from their children, whose whereabouts they say remain unknown.
Another suit centres on the case of a nursing mother who alleges she was separated from her infant following her arrest. She further claims she was assaulted, coerced and that money was unlawfully withdrawn from her bank account while in police custody.
In Suit No: HOW/475/2026, the applicants are asking the court to declare the removal of Onyebuchi Anyanwu’s three children—Peculiar Anyanwu (5), Ihuoma Anyanwu (8) and Onyinyechi Anyanwu (3)—as well as the removal of Chinenye Obi’s one-year-nine-month-old son, unlawful. They argue that the continued failure to disclose the children’s whereabouts, welfare and current custody violates the constitutional rights of both the mothers and the children.
A separate application filed by a woman from Abia State accuses officers of torture, sexual humiliation, denial of medical treatment and prolonged unlawful detention. She is seeking compensation as well as disciplinary action against the officers allegedly involved.
In the fourth suit, trader Kenneth Anyanwu alleges he was shot from behind by a police officer while unarmed, leaving him with severe injuries. He also claims he was denied prompt medical care and unlawfully dispossessed of personal funds during the incident.
The applicants are seeking declarations that their constitutional rights were violated, alongside compensation, independent investigations and other reliefs deemed appropriate by the court.
Reacting to the development, RULAAC Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma said the suits provide an opportunity for the judiciary to examine longstanding allegations involving the Tiger Base unit. He added that the proceedings would test Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability and the rule of law.
The Nigeria Police Force had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report. The claims remain allegations before the court, and the respondents will have the opportunity to present their defence during the proceedings.
