IGP Receives Petition on Systemic Torture, Killings in Imo

Imo, December 12, 2025 – The Coalition Against Police Tiger Base Impunity (CAPTI) has filed a detailed petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, alleging systemic human rights abuses at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, widely known as “Tiger Base.”

The petition, dated December 11, 2025, and signed by CAPTI representative Sanyaolu Juwon, was obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday. CAPTI claims that between January 2021 and November 2025, Tiger Base officers were involved in extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, illegal detention, extortion, and defiance of judicial authority.

According to CAPTI, the Network on Human Rights (NOHR) recorded “at least two hundred deaths” in Tiger Base custody, though unreported cases are likely higher. Former detainees reportedly described nightly executions of three to twenty persons, while families were routinely denied information, and autopsies were obstructed.

The coalition further alleged that detainees were subjected to severe abuse in designated “torture chambers,” including beatings, crucifixion-like suspension, starvation, and denial of medical care. CAPTI also cited cases of enforced disappearances and elaborate extortion schemes, where detainees and their families were forced to pay between N20,000 and N5 million for release.

Highlighting defiance of court orders, the group pointed to several cases, including that of Magnus Ejiogu, who died in custody despite NHRC intervention and IGP directives for his transfer. Other victims cited include Japhet Njoku, who allegedly died after torture and extortion, Reverend Cletus Nwachukwu Egole, missing since February 2021, and Chinonso Eluchie, held incommunicado since September 2025. CAPTI also mentioned Melody Eberechi Anyanwu, allegedly tortured in 2021, resulting in a forced abortion, while her father died in custody.

The petition contends that these alleged violations breach Sections 33, 34, 35, 36, and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Anti-Torture Act 2017, the Police Act 2020, and multiple international treaties, including the Convention Against Torture.

CAPTI attributed the impunity to systemic failures, noting that Tiger Base officers often operate without identification, internal oversight mechanisms are ineffective, and officers who commit violations are sometimes promoted rather than disciplined.

The coalition demanded a written response from the IGP within 30 days, requesting clarification on independent investigations, disciplinary actions, compliance with court orders, anti-extortion measures, access for human rights bodies, and reparations for victims.

Describing Tiger Base as “synonymous with torture, extrajudicial killing, and enforced disappearance in Imo State,” CAPTI warned that continued promotions of implicated officers “send a clear message that such conduct is not merely tolerated but rewarded.”

The group also requested a meeting with the IGP or designated senior officers to discuss its findings and coordinate remedial action.