Worried by the spate of reported killings, torture and other forms of dehumanization allegedly meted out to Nigerians, especially South-Easterners by operatives attached to a special Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo Police Command, otherwise known as Tiger Base, Owerri, Imo State, no fewer than 35 civil society organizations, on Monday, kicked against the ugly trend and petitioned the Nigerian Senate.

This is coming on the heels of reports and videos depicting alleged human torture, maiming and other human rights violations on detainees.

A good number of those hitherto detained at the Tiger Base said they were threatened with death if they ever confess their experiences therein to Nigerians.

The CSOs stated this in a petition signed by Rule of Law, Accountability and Advocacy Centre, Lagos; Spaces for Change, Lagos; Elixir Trust Foundation, Benue State; Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, Abia State; World Impact Development Foundation; Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication, llorin; Imam Mahdi Foundation for Global Peace and 30 others, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Monday.

The petition, which was addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, through the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, was titled, ‘Urgent Call for the Senate’s Investigation into Human Rights Violations by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, Tiger Base.’

The petition reads in part, “We, the undersigned, hereby submit this petition to urgently bring to your attention the alarming activities of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, located at Tiger Base. The operations of this unit have been reported to be far worse than those of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, with numerous documented instances of egregious human rights violations.

“Over the past one week, a serialized investigative journalism report (herewith attached), supported by testimonies from victims and survivors, has highlighted the atrocities committed and which must be thoroughly reviewed. The report reveals shocking accounts by victims, survivors, relatives of victims and survivors, activists and human rights defenders and witnesses of egregious human rights atrocities, corruption and flagrant abuse of power sustained by impunity and the failure of the police and police oversight authorities to investigate allegations and ensure accountability and justice. The report was also based on responses by the Nigeria Police, Correctional Services, the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, the Police Service Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission, among other respondents.

“’Tiger Base,’ as the notorious police unit has come to be generally known, was set up to tackle incidents of violent crimes, but the activities of the unit bear no resemblance to the requirements of the law or professional policing standards.



https://punchng.com/35-csos-petition-senate-accuse-imo-police-of-extra-judicial-killings-torture/