The Ike family of Umuoni, Ihiteafoukwu, in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, has raised a call for help from the government and police authorities over what they called unlawful arrest, incommunicado detention, enforced disappearance, and subsequent alleged extrajudicial killing of their son and brother, Onuocha Johnbosco.
The act was reportedly carried out by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, also known as Tiger Base, in Owerri, Imo State.
A sister to the victim, Ugo Collette Amarachukwu, appealed in an exclusive interview with TNC correspondent in Owerri.
According to Amarachukwu, her brother, Mr Johnbosco, was at his business place at Ekeziama, Ahiazu Mbaise on Saturday, 31st May 2025, when unknown men approached him in a white Sienna vehicle who posed as customers.
She said that, without identifying themselves or stating the purpose of their visit, the men suddenly handcuffed him and whisked him away after looting equipment and documents from his office.
According to her, when community members tried to intervene, the operatives fired sporadically into the air to disperse them.
The victim’s sister said immediately after his abduction, their family members reported the incident at the Ahiazu Mbaise Police Station, where the officers at the station informed them that no such arrest had been registered, a denial that continued for days.
She, however, noted that community members and witnesses suggested the operatives might be from Tiger Base in Owerri.
Amarachukwu further revealed that from Monday, June 2nd, 2025, their family made multiple visits to various police formations in Imo State, including the State CID, Tiger Base, and the Command headquarters. They paid ₦3,000 at the Police Control Room for an all-station alert, but no division confirmed his detention.
She said, shockingly, on 4th June, they discovered an online publication by the Imo State Police Command dated 3rd June alleging that Mr. Johnbosko was apprehended after a shoot-out with police officers and was found with items linked to IPOB/ESN.
“This narrative was clearly fabricated, as several witnesses, including community members, had already attested that he was abducted peacefully from his business premises without any incident. Despite our repeated visits to Tiger Base with a legal counsel, including visits facilitated by a respected radio journalist and human rights activist, Mr. Nonso Nkwa, the operatives continued to deny his presence.
“Eventually, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) admitted to Mr. Nonso that Mr. Johnbosco was indeed in their custody. Following this, Tiger Base Commander Ola reportedly admitted to Mr. Nonso Nkwa that Mr. Johnbosko was shot while attempting to escape and died in their custody,” Amarachukwu narrated.
She, however, noted that the victim’s body has neither been produced nor has any official notification been given to the family, and there has been no investigation into the incident or the initial denials.
She said although the same commander Ola, admitted to Johnbosco’s father that his operatives raided and burned their family home on two occasions, he contradicted himself when he told Nonso Nkwa that it was an angry community mob that carried out the arson, acts which had previously gone unpunished due to lack of clear attribution and the breakdown of law enforcement structures during the height of insecurity in Imo State.
Amarachukwu said the family considers the actions of the operatives of Tiger Base and the Imo State Police Command to be in flagrant violation of Section 33 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution (Right to Life and Personal Liberty), the Anti-Torture Act, 2017, and the Nigeria Police Force’s operational guidelines and the Police Act, 2020.
They demanded the immediate investigation by the IGP’s Monitoring Unit or Force Criminal Investigation Department into the unlawful arrest, incommunicado detention, and alleged extrajudicial killing of their brother, Johnbosco, the disclosure of the whereabouts of his remains, and a formal release of his body to them for a dignified burial.
“We call for the prosecution of all police officers found to have been involved in the unlawful abduction, detention, torture, and killing of Mr. Johnbosco, and full accountability for the looting of his business and destruction of our family home, including compensation for the damages and trauma inflicted.
“We demand an apology and public retraction of the defamatory publication by the Imo State Police Command, falsely accusing Mr. Johnbosco of terrorism and criminality, and the institution of disciplinary action against Commander Ola and any other officer who participated in concealing the unlawful act, lying to the public, and obstructing justice,” she said.
Reacting to the development, the Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the RULAAC had written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, over the incident, adding that the family had informed them that they have suffered immensely from the unlawful and inhumane treatment of their son.
He said the petition calls on the IGP to uphold the rule of law, prevent further abuse by rogue police elements, and restore public trust in the Nigeria Police Force by ensuring that justice is not only done but seen to be done.
Nwanguma also said the petition was forwarded to the National Human Rights Commission, the Police Service Commission, and reputable civil society and international human rights organizations.
