Imo State Police Command has refuted allegations of human rights abuses unleashed on the detainees at the anti-kidnapping unit (aka Tiger Base), said to be perpetrated by the officers of the unit.

The command also dismissed a viral video in circulation alleging that the officers of the unit were engaging in human torture, organ trafficking and extra-judicial killings.

In a statement issued Wednesday night, the spokesperson of the command, Henry Okoye, stated that the video was false and unfounded, intended to mislead the public.

Okoye, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), clarified that the unit was a legitimate tactical facility established as a formation of the Nigeria Police Force mandated to combat kidnapping activities, armed robbery, cultism, and other violent crimes in the state, clarifying that it was not an illegal detention facility or a place taken as a slaughterhouse.

The statement read: “The Imo State Police Command has noted with dismay a viral social media publication alleging that the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, with the operational call sign ‘Tiger Base,’ engages in torture, organ trafficking, and extrajudicial killings. The Command categorically refutes these claims as false, unfounded, and intended to mislead the public.

“The Anti-Kidnapping Unit (Tiger Base) is a legitimate tactical formation of the Nigeria Police Force mandated to combat kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, and other violent crimes. It is not an illegal detention facility or a slaughterhouse, and all suspects are handled in line with the law.”

Highlighting the achievements of the unit, he stressed, “The Unit has successfully dismantled several notorious kidnapping and armed robbery syndicates, contributing to the improved peace and security that Imolites enjoy today.

“There is no credible evidence supporting the allegations of torture, organ harvesting, or extrajudicial killings. These narratives are considered part of a smear campaign by criminal elements affected by ongoing security operations.”

Okoye continued: “The attempt to introduce ethnic sentiment into routine policing activities by targeting the Officer-in-Charge is condemned. The Nigeria Police Force remains a national institution where officers serve across all regions.

“Tiger Base operates in synergy with other security agencies and community policing structures, ensuring accountability and transparency.”

The Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, the statement added, has set up a human rights desk to handle complaints on such inhuman acts, stressing, “To strengthen oversight of the unit, the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, has directed the immediate establishment of a Human Rights Desk within the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to ensure transparency and safeguard the rights of all persons handled by the unit.

“The Commissioner of Police urges Imolites to disregard the false claims and to direct genuine complaints to the Complaints Response Unit (CRU), XSquad, or the Human Rights Desk Unit domiciled at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit.”

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command warned those circulating such videos to be mindful of the Cybercrime Act of 2015

“Individuals circulating false information to incite fear or undermine security efforts are warned to desist, as such acts violate the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015,” he warned.