The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force, calling for the immediate shutdown of a police facility known as Tiger Base in Imo State over alleged human rights violations.
In a statement issued on Friday in Owerri and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, the organisation said the facility has been linked to persistent and well-documented allegations spanning several years.
FENRAD listed the alleged abuses to include torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, arbitrary and prolonged detention, denial of access to lawyers and family members, extortion, and deaths in custody.
According to the group, the allegations are backed by multiple independent sources, including affidavits and testimonies filed in Nigerian courts by detainees and their families, reports by local and international media organisations, petitions submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and observations made by courts during habeas corpus and fundamental rights enforcement proceedings.
While noting that allegations must be subjected to due process, FENRAD said the volume, consistency and duration of the reports raise serious concerns that require urgent institutional action.
“The continued operation of a facility facing such allegations poses a serious threat to constitutional governance and public confidence in law enforcement,” the organisation said.
FENRAD added that the alleged practices are inconsistent with provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, particularly the rights to life, dignity of the human person and personal liberty. It also said the claims contradict Nigeria’s obligations under international and regional human rights instruments, including the United Nations Convention Against Torture, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Drawing parallels with previously disbanded police units, the organisation warned that tactical formations operating with limited transparency and weak oversight are especially prone to abuse.
The group demanded the immediate suspension and closure of Tiger Base pending an independent investigation, the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to examine all allegations linked to the facility, and the transparent investigation and prosecution of any officers found culpable.
It also called for access to justice, compensation and rehabilitation for victims and affected families, as well as structural police reforms in Imo State, including independent oversight of tactical units, strict detention safeguards, mandatory human rights training, and guaranteed access to legal counsel and family members for detainees.
FENRAD urged the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, the NHRC, the Imo State Government, the judiciary and the National Assembly to act promptly and transparently in the public interest, warning that failure to address the allegations could further erode public trust in law enforcement.
The organisation also appealed to the media, civil society groups, faith-based institutions and the international community to continue to demand accountability and respect for human dignity.
