By Augustine Ehikioya
The name ‘Tiger Base’ may be a strange name to most Nigerians, but it is well known among criminals in Imo State.
Beside knowing very well that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but in Imo State, the fear of Tiger Base is gradually becoming the beginning of wisdom for criminals.
Tiger Base, which is the popular name given to the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad, has become a thorn in the flesh of criminals in the State.
It has carried out very impactful onslaught against criminals in the state resulting in the incarceration of many suspects who have confessed to various crimes.
Despite the good work it is doing, so much controversies have lately surrounding the name ‘Tiger Base’
The reason being put forward for the latest development in some quarters is that criminals have started to fight back as relatives of kidnappers, cultists, armed robbers, members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing Eastern Security Network (ESN), and others in detention, are using the media to paint Tiger Base black.
To unravel the true situation in Imo State, Security Watch Africa (SWA) embarked on investigative tour of the State.
SWA interactions with some criminal suspects in the cell exposed the giant strides Tiger Base has been recording in the State.
A kidnapping suspect and member of ESN, Uchenna Okpara from Umuaka Mbano, said “As I joined them, my work in our tangle, our master, Oga B44, is our Oga. While he has second-in-command, and the main man for Biafra is Nnamdi Kanu.
“The B44 is from Irete, while his second man is from Ogbaka. My work there is kidnapping and attacking police and Army men, anything concerning Nigerian government workers.” he added.
On how many people he has attacked or kidnapped, he said “They are many. We hand them over to other people like Mascot, Power, Aminute, Oha, Meshiden from Mbise, Ugonwanyi from Mbaise, Spare key, Egbanabikoko.”
Explaining what happens to the people he hands over to others, he said “They will hold them. Some they will leave them after collecting money.”
Asked what he gets from the share, he said “No gain. They don’t pay me any money.”
Another suspect and ESN member, Nwake Chukwuemeka 26 years old from Amagu Autonomous Community, Orlu East, said “I just followed them and when they attacked one Police station and they killed about 10 police officers. I later left them and ran away.
“I am a taylor. I stayed with them for about three months. I was with Aboy the commander, Terror, Baron. The other one they went for was the one we chased away the Police men and took their guns at Akata. We didn’t kill anybody there.”
A 37 years old Pastor of Healing Power Ministry, Amelechukwu Emenike Nnaemeka, from Umunkwo, disclosed to Security Watch Africa that he was taken as a member of ESN under duress.
He recounted that the action followed his sheltering a target from the attack of the group.
“So, for me to save my head, I started associating with them. I don’t know anything about their meetings and initiation. All I do is to chat with them, pray and do spiritual work for them.” He stated.
A 50 years old IPOB/ESN member who hails from Ibele, Imo State,
Ifeanyi Egbuegbulam, said “Almost every Monday we gather for a meeting, including women, at the compound of Emeka Amafeli. He is the organizer. The registration is N500.
“We were told that registration fee will prove you as a freedom fighter when independence comes. And it will enable you to acquire post, even when you want to become the Chief of Army Staff, or whatever. Many old people, even over 70 years old are involved. They tell us that even if you are old, your sons can gain something.
“From the N500 we gather, we buy food stuffs for the members on the field, some women even contribute garri and other food stuffs.
“At a point when they say the N500 monthly dues should be increased, I asked a question and told them I didn’t see any truth in what they were telling us.
“I’m even not in good terms with my first son whom I trained at University of Nigeria Nsukka because he was telling me that while Kanu is the head of Biafra, there is nothing bigger than Government.
“So, from there, we withdrew because we didn’t see any iota of truth in what they were telling us.” He said.
Making case for support for Tiger Base, he said “Presently, I’m urging the high authorities to support this Tiger Base. Tiger Base is the only people that can penetrate and shake that place. It’s the only people they fear.”
Another ESN member, Uzoma Ihedurum, 32 years old from Njaba Local Government told SWA that he initially had problem with ESN and they were chasing him about before police arrested him.
On the role he played for ESN when he eventually teamed up with them, he said “I repair their machines and also go round to look for good native doctors to get medicine for them.
“I do the medicine for Asari, Eyepencil, Small, Ogwu, Ikedinam, Son of Lion and Akajiegba. The disappearing medicine the doctors were doing were not working. They are just chopping my money.
“As the medicine was failing, they say I’m chopping their money and they asked me to bring back their money.
“The thing failed one person and they confirmed that it was not working and they asked me to bring their money. And I didn’t have that money.” he recounted.
Another member of ESN, who called himself a Pastor and founder of God’s Mind Church, Amaechi Onyebuchi, recounted how he was made a member of ESN after another member, Mr. Uchenna, took his case to the ESN leadership when he slept with his (Uchenna) wife.
The 40 years old man from Ideato, said “Mr. Uchenna brought me here, I slept with his wife and he went to report me to ESN. They came for me, and adopted me.
“After all said and done, I started giving them information about police station in my area.”
A lady at one of the police stations visited said “I have a suspect here for robbery, his name is Chibeze Duru from Orlu.
“He robbed a woman bag containing Samsung galaxy, N300,000 and POS machine.”
But countering the accusation, the suspect, Chibeze Duru, said “The woman I took her bag is my friend and I’ve been going to the shop several times. It was one hundred and twenty something thousand naira that was inside the bag.”
One suspect caught for cultism, said “I’m involved in cultism and unlawful possession of firearm. In an attempt to commit crime, I was arrested on the 6th of June. I was caught red handed.”
Ejike Uzuchi a cult member belonging to the Neo Black Movement (NBM) of Africa, gave reasons why he joined the cult group.
“I like their activities, they help people and for what they are, that’s why I joined them.”
Explaining how he was caught in possession of gun, he said “One of my cousin brother owned the gun that was recovered from me. I was using the gun for safety. In our village, we always have issues.
“I went to school to write exams and that was why I carried it. I only carried the gun that day.
“They stopped us as I was coming back from school,” he stated.
Chijindu, a 23 years old member of Aiye cult group, said “I didn’t go to write exams there. I was going to see another friend when I saw this my friend.
“I’m not from their community, but I heard that they are having issues with NBM and Aiye. I belong to Aiye. When we saw officers, we did not run, other group members ran away.
“So, they captured us that day. It was this my friend that was carrying the gun and the bullet. I’m a Tiler.”
Martins Anuwankwum, a 24 years old a member of Neo Black Movement of Africa, said he joined the cult group in school for protection.
“I joined during my school days at Federal Polytechnic, Nekede. While I was in school, they used to harass me because I was a course rep that time. Sometimes, if I try to penalise people that didn’t do their assignments, they will call their brothers that are cultists to come and harass me till last year, which was my final year.
“How I joined was that they started advising me that when I join, they will start to protect me and nothing will happen to me in the school. And that if I don’t join, I will not graduate from the school.
“Out of fear of not graduating, I joined them. When I joined them, I noticed that what they told me is not what I’m seeing. Every time Police is looking for them, harassing them.
“And sometimes they used to go to gardens, shoot guns and dance, which I started to avoid so that I will not participate in the occasion.
“But this my friend that I used to visit is also a member. I regretted joining the fraternity.
On the 7th of July, 2025, this my friend came to my house in the afternoon that they are having general NBM gathering and I told him I’m not coming out.” He stated.
Some of the items recovered from the suspects by the Imo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad, included Two (2) GPMG, Thirteen (13) AK-47 Rifle, Seven (7) Pump Action Guns, Three (3) Double Barrel Long Guns.
Other items are Six (6) Single Barrel Guns, Three (3) Double Barrel Short Locally Made guns, One Hundred and Twenty (120) Rounds of Live Cartridges, Three Hundred (300) Rounds of AK-47 Ammunition, Four Hundred (400) Rounds of GPMG Ammunition.
Also recovered are Four Matches, Daggers, IPOB/ESN Insignia, Drums and Different Confraternity Caps.
Speaking with SWA on security in the state, the Commissioner of Police for the Imo State Police Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, maintained that the security in the state is “good, although very fluid.”
According to him, sometimes criminals want to test the ability of the police to provide security for the people.
Officers and Policemen in the State, he said, have been able to withstand and checkmate the activities of criminals and the “state is peaceful and safe”
This, the CP said, has provided the peaceful environment for many events, seminars, and conferences to be hosted in the State.
CP Aboki Danjuma mainly attributed the great achievement the Police is recording in the State to the activities of the anti kidnapping squad known as ‘Tiger Base’.
“This squad, has helped the State so much in cleaning the state of almost all the criminals in the State, ranging from kidnapping and others.”
He pointed out that most of the crimes are interrelated, stressing that cultism is related to kidnapping, IPOB and ESN are also carrying out kidnapping, assassins, and all sorts of criminal activities.
He noted that the Tiger Base has been the main strike force the Police command in Imo State has been using to tackle the activities of the criminals.
Speaking on the criticism and media attacks against the Tiger Base, the CP said it is the handworks of distractors, political oppositions to the current political leadership in the State.
He also attributed them to aggrieved relatives of the suspects, with the sole aim of weakening the work of the Tiger Base, and by extension weakening the work the Imo state police command is doing to clean up the state of criminal.
The CP declared that without the Tiger Base in Imo State, the State would have been ungovernable.
“And as we speak, criminals dread this squad because they know that once a crime is committed and the Tiger Base comes into it, they will definitely be caught.”
He noted that the squad has handled all the cases assigned to it very well.
The CP also vouched for the squad that they don’t abuse human rights of suspected criminals.
All the petitions, accusations and allegations, he said, are coming just to distract and possibly make them to fail in their determination to clean the State of criminality.
To ensure they don’t toy with human rights of citizens, the CP said he regularly go to their base, to give them lectures on human rights abuse.
Additionally, he said, he also brings the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Magistrates, Judges, and civil society groups to lecture them on human rights.
“And so he can confidently say that the tiger base abides by the rules of engagement, which is to ensure that the rights of citizens are not abused.” He stated.
Being a strong supporter of peace and harmony in the country, SWA believes every thing should be done to support any squad and system that will effectively tackle crimes, promote peace and by extension development.
Rather than condemnation, all necessary support should therefore be given to Tiger Base to tame crimes and criminality in Imo State.
Beyond all these, Tiger Base should be closely understudied by other police commands in the country to know and adopt its working strategies against crimes.