Imo Police 'Tiger Base' accused of stealing babies and torturing mothers

Yesterday, RULAAC filed four fundamental rights suits before the Imo State High Court in Owerri, accusing the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo Police Command, known as 'Tiger Base', of torture, forced labour, and the enforced disappearance of infants. The lead counsel, Chinedu Agu, filed on behalf of eight victims, and the hearing is fixed for tomorrow, Wednesday, August 5, 2026.

The details are sickening. Onyebuchi Anyanwu was arrested in 2023 with her three children, Peculiar (5), Ihuoma (8), and Onyinyechi (3), over her husband's alleged IPOB links. The infants were snatched from her at Tiger Base. Chinenye Obi was arrested with her one-year-nine-month-old son, who was also taken. Up until July 2026, the police had failed to account for these four missing children. The women were forced to wash officers' clothes, carry stones, cook for hundreds, and clean blood of executed inmates from 6am to 6pm daily. They were held incommunicado until their arraignment on December 16, 2025.

Another victim, Ngozi Ogbonna, was struck with a walking stick, machete, belt, and pistol, forced to strip naked, and threatened with pepper in her eyes. She suffered internal bleeding without care. The suit also reveals Chinaza Ifeanyi was arrested while nursing her two-month-old baby and separated from the infant, had N30,000 withdrawn from her account with her seized ATM card, and was forced to sign statements under duress. These are public servants meant to protect us. How can the police take babies and claim to know nothing? Who is holding ACP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa accountable?