Amnesty International Accuses Nigerian Police of Enforced Disappearance of Children at Tiger Base
OWERRI, NIGERIA (NPA), March 4, 2026 — Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian Police of enforced disappearances involving children detained at the Tiger Base facility in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
In its latest report, the global human rights organisation alleged that children arrested alongside their mothers by Tiger Base operatives were taken away by police officers and never returned. Amnesty stated: “These children are not simply separated but effectively disappeared — removed without any record, concealed from relatives, and never returned.”
The report, based on testimonies from survivors, described a “disturbing pattern” in which children detained with their mothers were removed without documentation, while officers refused to provide information and obstructed attempts by relatives to locate them.
“Testimonies from survivors detained at Tiger Base Owerri Imo state reveal a disturbing pattern in which children arrested alongside their mothers are taken away by police officers and never brought back.”
“Amnesty International’s findings show that these children are not simply separated but effectively disappeared — removed without any record, concealed from relatives, and never returned. The absence of documentation, officers’ refusal to provide information, and the deliberate obstruction of mothers seeking their children all point to a systematic practice that amounts to enforced disappearance.”
Amnesty concluded that the practice amounts to enforced disappearance.
Last week, Amnesty International released findings that Tiger Base — originally established to combat kidnapping and armed robbery — has instead been implicated in serious human rights violations, including unlawful killings, torture, extortion, and arbitrary detention. The organisation reported that detainees are held in “filthy, windowless cells,” subjected to beatings, and in some cases shot or forcibly disappeared.”
South African security authorities warn protesters over xenophobic violence
Amnesty International slams court ruling against SERAP, urges immediate quash
Nigerian Army eliminate terrorists in Zamfara, recover weapons
SERAP rejects court judgment ordering N100m damages over defamation suit, heads to appeal
Nigeria, Ghana deepen anti-drug partnership to combat trafficking cartels
Sowore condemns alleged assault on TheCable journalist Olalekan Fakoyejo by soldiers in Lagos
US man of Nigerian descent Victor Kolawole, accomplice plead guilty in multi-million-dollar U.S. bank fraud scheme
Amnesty International demands disclosure of missing Malian opposition figure Mountaga Tall
- Tinubu commissions NRS Headquarters, says new tax reforms will drive prosperity
- Climate change anxiety is rising — and so is the willingness to act on it
- Golden Globes want to make a comeback this year. Hollywood isn’t buying
- Baseball boosts TBS, NFL gives ESPN a kick and streamers love ‘Squid’
- Net zero pledges offer hope of avoiding catastrophe, says UN report
Community Discussion