By SUNTV Global Channel | December 27, 2025
Human rights lawyer and activist, Chinedu Agu, has raised a grave alarm over what he describes as credible threats to his life by operatives of the notorious Tiger Base, a special police unit attached to the Imo State Police Command.
Agu, who was previously arrested in September 2025 following a petition by the Imo State Government over alleged “inciting” social media posts, says he has now received intelligence suggesting that elements linked to the Tiger Base unit are dissatisfied with his continued advocacy and have allegedly marked him for elimination.
Tiger Base, officially known as the Imo State Anti-Kidnapping Unit, has for years been accused by local and international human rights organisations of widespread abuses, including torture, illegal detention, extortion, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. Amnesty International and several civil society groups have documented allegations that more than 200 detainees have died in the unit’s custody within the last five years. The police and Imo State Government, however, have consistently denied the claims, insisting the unit is a legitimate tactical formation created to combat kidnapping and armed robbery.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Agu said his troubles escalated following a series of public interventions against the unit’s activities. He recalled publishing a satirical poem in Pidgin English on December 10 titled “Tigerbase or Tiger Crase”, which criticised alleged killings and institutional lawlessness associated with the unit.
Five days later, on December 15, Agu appeared alongside activist Omoyele Sowore at the public presentation of a report by the Coalition Against Police Tigerbase Impunity (CAPTI) in Abuja. The report, titled “The Tigerbase File: Systematic Torture, Extra-Judicial Killings, Enforced Disappearances and the Collapse of Police Accountability in Imo State, Nigeria,” detailed alleged abuses linked to the unit. Agu’s speech at the event, which later went viral, further intensified attention on Tiger Base.
According to Agu, his fears deepened after reading a recent public alert by investigative journalist Chinonso Uba (Nonso Nkwa), who also claimed his safety was under threat following reports exposing the same police unit.
“Yesterday, 26 December 2025, I received credible intelligence indicating that elements associated with Tigerbase are dissatisfied with my continued advocacy and have marked me for elimination,” Agu stated.
While noting that threats often accompany civic engagement in Nigeria, Agu said this particular warning could not be ignored given Tiger Base’s documented history. “When an institution with such a dangerous record is linked to an elimination scheme, silence becomes perilous,” he said.
Invoking Igbo proverbs to underscore the urgency of his situation, Agu declared that he was speaking out to ensure that any harm to him or his family would not go unnoticed. He held the Nigeria Police Force, the Imo State Government, and all relevant security agencies responsible for his safety.
The lawyer has also called on international human rights organisations, diplomatic missions, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association, the United Nations human rights mechanisms, and numerous local and global civil society groups to urgently intervene, maintain protective attention, and demand accountability.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Police Command had not issued an official response to Agu’s latest allegations.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor developments on this unfolding story.
