The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has filed four public interest suits against the Tiger Base Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, accusing its officers of torture, arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention, unlawful shootings, extortion and other alleged human rights abuses.

The cases, instituted before the High Court of Imo State on behalf of eight residents, are scheduled for hearing today, August 5, 2026.

RULAAC said the suits seek judicial accountability over longstanding allegations of police brutality and impunity associated with the controversial unit.

According to the applicants, seven of the affected individuals were detained at the Tiger Base facility for more than two years without being convicted of any offence. Some also alleged they were arrested not because they committed crimes, but because they were wives, girlfriends, sisters or relatives of individuals the police were seeking.

Among the most poignant cases is that of Onyebuchi Anyanwu, who alleged that she was arrested in 2023 alongside her three infant children over claims that her husband had links to the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

In her affidavit, Anyanwu said she was separated from her children shortly after arriving at the Tiger Base facility.

As of July 2026, when the suits were filed, she said she had received no information about their whereabouts. She also alleged that she remained in detention for about two years before being arraigned.

Another applicant, Chinaza Ifeanyi, claimed she was arrested while nursing her two-month-old baby and was separated from the child shortly after arriving at the facility.

She alleged that she has never been informed of the baby’s whereabouts.

She further claimed she was assaulted, forced to sign documents she did not prepare, deprived of her personal belongings, and that police officers withdrew N30,000 from her bank account using her ATM card without her consent.

Along with Munachi Ifeanyi and Chidera Onyemuwa, Chinaza maintained that she was detained solely because of her relationship with individuals the police intended to arrest.

Another applicant, Kenneth Anyanwu, alleged that he was mistakenly shot in the abdomen during a police operation despite not being the intended target.

According to his affidavit, he sustained life-threatening injuries and was left bleeding in the boot of a police vehicle for several hours before receiving medical attention. He is asking the court to determine whether the force used against him was lawful and whether his constitutional rights were violated.

The remaining applicants, Ngozi Ogbonna, Chinenye Obi and Nkechinyere Ogu, also alleged unlawful arrest.

Prolonged detention and violations of their constitutional rights.

RULAAC said the suits are supported by sworn affidavits from the applicants, as well as reports by Amnesty International and the Coalition Against Police Tiger Base Impunity (CAPTI), which documented allegations of torture and other human rights abuses linked to the unit.

RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the cases extend beyond the experiences of the eight applicants and raise broader constitutional questions.

According to him, the suits seek judicial pronouncements on the limits of police powers, the prohibition of torture, the protection of personal liberty, and whether family members or associates of suspects can lawfully be arrested and detained solely because of their relationship with those being sought by law enforcement.

He added that the proceedings provide an opportunity for the courts to examine longstanding allegations that have trailed one of Nigeria’s most controversial police units.

RULAAC stressed that the respondents have the right to contest the allegations and present their defence, noting that only the court can determine the facts and apply the law.

However, the organisation maintained that allegations of such gravity deserve independent judicial scrutiny. It called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations, the media and members of the public to closely monitor the proceedings.

It added that justice for victims of torture and unlawful detention is essential to restoring public confidence in policing and reaffirming that no individual or institution is above the Constitution.

For years, the Tiger Base Anti-Kidnapping Unit has faced allegations from victims, families and human rights organisations involving torture, prolonged detention without trial, enforced disappearances and other abuses.

The pending court cases are expected to provide one of the first opportunities for many of those allegations to be tested through sworn evidence before the court.