It is almost six years since that night of infamy, October 20, 2020, when young Nigerians were mowed down at the Lekki Tollgate by a detachment of soldiers.

For days, thousands of youths and even hundreds of supportive adults had gathered at the Lekki Tollgate for the #EndSARS protest against the gross abuse of human rights by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force across the country.

The very peaceful, carnival-like Lekki Tollgate protest, spiced with live band performance by popular artistes, solidarity speeches by notable personalities and celebrities, quickly captured global attention as major international news organisations like CNN, BBC and others began live coverage of the protest.

The #EndSARS protests were nationwide demonstrations around the country against police brutality and the notorious SARS. The protests commenced on Twitter (now known as X) with the hashtag EndSARS, following the emergence of a video of a SARS official allegedly killing a young man in Delta State. This caused outrage and heightened years of disapproval and anger against police harassment. The Twitter protests then reached the street, blossomed across the country and compelled the government to disband SARS. However, things got to a head when the government allegedly ordered soldiers on October 20, 2020, to disperse the Lekki Tollgate protesters with live fire, causing the death of many and leaving hundreds injured by gunshots.

As it is said, the leopard cannot change its spots. It did not take long for the ‘dead’ SARS to ‘resurrect’ as the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS), which has adopted the operational colouration and template of SARS, manifesting all the things that led Nigerians to protest and demand the disbandment of SARS. Today, AKS has become a terror, feared as much as the terrorists, bandits and armed herdsmen, who abduct, maim, rape, kill and dispose of the bodies of victims in addition to demanding ransom from families of the abductees. AKS has acquired notoriety for flagrant human rights abuses, extortion in the guise of bail, extra-judicial killings, illegal detention and being used as willing tools to settle personal scores.

In this report, Sunday Sun presents reports on the situation in the states

Imo: Over 200 dead, missing in Tiger Base custody

The tiger is a ferocious predator that grabs and kills its prey with lightning speed. In Imo State, the special police operatives assigned to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, a unit of the Imo Police Command, have been living up to the fearsome image which the tiger conjures.

This is more so as the unit is called Tiger Base. The excesses of the operatives of this tactical unit have overshadowed the string of successes it has recorded in the fight against crime in the state.

Several civil society organisations and individuals have inundated the state command and the state government with petitions over alleged gross human rights violations by operatives of the Tiger Base, accusing them of becoming a law unto themselves.

Mr Celestine Ibe, a native of Obodo Amaigbo in Nwangele Council Area of Imo State, said he was held incommunicado at the Tiger Base for four days, released and later re-arrested alongside his wife and his surety over a land dispute.

His words: “My ordeal in the hands of the operatives of Tiger Base began following a land dispute between me and two of my relatives (names withheld), one of whom is an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps of the Imo State Command. The elders of the community have already arbitrated on the matter to my favour but my relative who is an officer of NSCDC boasted that she would use her connections with the Imo State Police Command to deal with me and members of my family.

“On Sunday, 21 March 2024, I was in my house when members of a vigilante outfit, Amaigbo, came and arrested me at her Instance – and her brothers’ – over the land dispute. I was detained for four days at the Nwangele Police Division before being taken to the Tiger Base at the state comman’, where I was detained for another four days. The Unit commander and the investigating police officer treated me like an animal, and I was forced to write a statement. They insisted under intimidation that I must pay N3 million to the nominal complainant and to sign an agreement, but I refused. I had to pay N400,000.

“The day I was asked to return to the state command after my release, I was again arrested along with my wife, who had accompanied me as well as the surety, by officers of the Tiger Base, where I was kept incommunicado for four days at the instance of the same relative. We were only released through the efforts of one of our relatives, who is a journalist, as we had already been declared missing by our kinsmen.”

Mr Ibeh, who had earlier been diagnosed with prostate enlargement and high blood pressure, said that his condition worsened under police custody as he was not allowed to take his medications.

In the case of Mrs Chinasa Obinna, she said she was arrested by operatives of the Tiger Base in place of her husband over a land dispute and dragged into their vehicle like a common criminal.

She said: “On 27 January, 2025, I was in our house in Obokwe Community in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area when the operatives of the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command stormed our house, armed to the teeth. They asked after my husband, and I told them that he was not at home. They also searched the entire place. I asked them what the matter was. The one who was their leader said, ‘Bundle her into the vehicle. When you get to the station, you will know.’ I was bundled into their vehicle and taken to Tiger Base in Owerri. I left my three little children behind. I was detained for three days. One Chidi, who was the IPO, only granted me bail after my family members paid N300,000.

“I was traumatised because for the three days I spent in their overcrowded cell, I couldn’t sleep or take my bath. I stood all through. I learnt from some of the female detainees that some of them had spent over a year because of the huge amount of money the officers were demanding for bail. You will hear people shouting all through the night because of beatings by the officers.”

For Emeka Nnamdi, who resides in Umuguma, suburb of Owerri metropolis, his encounter with operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit will forever be etched in his memory.

Hear him: “On the evening of December 31, 2025, I was on my way to the village Umunwerre in Ngor Okpala. Just before the World Bank roundabout, I was stopped by four police officers who had blocked part of the road with an unmarked mini-bus. They were not even in uniform but wore facemasks. They asked me to come out of my car. I did. They demanded the particulars of the car, a Toyota Venza, which I gave them. I also gave them my driver’s licence. Trouble started when one of them demanded to check my phone and I refused. They forcefully snatched the phone and tagged me a kidnapper and a fraudster. They dragged me into the mini-bus they came with while one of them drove my car as they took me to their base. It was through the intervention of my kinsman, a senior police officer at the state command, who rescued me from their hands.”

He described the crop of operatives at the Tiger Base as vicious, with no conscience, whose only interest is money through extortion and intimidation.

Worried by the unwholesome activities of the operatives of the Tiger Base, a civic group, Oganihu, on February 26, 2026, petitioned the Imo State government for immediate intervention, investigation and disbandment of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (Tiger Base).

The petition was signed by Prof Chijioke Uwasomba and Dr Chido Onuomah, as President and Secretary of the organisation, respectively.

The group said that between 2021 and 2025, extensive documentation from survivors, families, and available reports indicate that at least 200 persons may have died or disappeared while in custody within the specified period.

Among documented cases, the group noted are Japhet Njoku, Magnus Ejiogu, Ekene Francis Elemuwa, Pastor Chinedu, Reverend Cletus Nwachukwu, Onuocha Johnbosco, Sunday and Calista Ifedi and Mmesoma Chukwunyere.

The petition read in part: “The death of Mr Linus Onyewuchi Anyanwu in custody in May 2021, following his arrest alongside his daughter, Melody Eberechi Anyanwu, remains particularly disturbing. Melody was reportedly four months pregnant at the time. She was allegedly beaten severely, resulting in the loss of her pregnancy. Her father died in detention. She was subsequently transferred between facilities without being properly charged in court. If established, these facts constitute grave violations of constitutional and criminal law protections.

“Gloria Okolie was detained for several months and allegedly compelled to perform domestic labour while in custody. Her case underscores patterns of gendered exploitation and abuse. Notably, the ECOWAS Court of Justice adjudicated on Ms. Okolie’s case, finding that she was subjected to unlawful detention and degrading treatment. The Court declared these violations unconstitutional and contrary to Nigeria’s human rights obligations, and awarded her compensation.

“This judgment demonstrates that at least in Ms Okolie’s case, abuses were not merely alleged but judicially confirmed, highlighting systemic weaknesses in oversight, accountability, and the protection of detainee rights. Such conduct, whether systemic or individual, constitutes serious violations of Nigerian law and binding international human rights obligations.

“Arbitrary detention and extortion at Tiger base is an indication that they operated as a parallel detention regime outside constitutional safeguards, as detainees were allegedly held for weeks or months without court appearance. Families of victims were reportedly compelled to pay sums ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦20 million to secure release, including in matters that were essentially civil disputes.”

Regarding the case of Nmesoma Chukwunyere, a nursing trainee, the petition noted that she was reportedly detained for months without charge despite a lack of incriminating evidence, stating her case reflected a broader pattern of coercive detention and alleged manipulation of statements.

The group, In the petition, urged the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma to look into the chilling reports on the shocking violations and breaches happening under his watch, stressing that if the government failed to do the needful regarding the allegation, it would deepen public distrust that may snowball like the situation that led to the #EndSARS protests.

Rivers: Kidnapped, brutalised, extorted

In Rivers State, the activities of operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Nigeria Police Force have been an issue of great concern to members of the public. Victims of these police operatives always have agonising and painful tales of their experience in the hands of these men.

Sunday Sun investigation revealed that this category of operatives would drive their victims to a different location, not even a police station, sometimes a neighbouring state and force the victims to transfer a huge amount of money to a designated account before being released.In Rivers State, the plain-clothes, fully armed policemen operate in unmarked Toyota Sienna vehicles.

A recent case in the state was that of a young man, Miracle Ejiofor. The incident occurred on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at about 12:30 am. He said he spent over two hours in their captivity.

Ejiofor, who narrated his harrowing experience, said he had been reluctant to post reports of these incidents until he had a taste of their inhumane treatment and greed. He said he never wanted to make the post because he did not want to cause trauma to his mother.

Recounting the experience, he said, “A few weeks ago, I felt the need to make a post about the Nigerian police officers on the road harassing drivers. Especially, when they see you’re a young boy, they would label you “Yahoo boy” and start demanding money. But I waved it off and didn’t post.

“Just yesterday (Thursday), early morning –about 12.30 am, I drove out of my estate to get fuel for my car and generator, because there are many filling stations that sell fuel 24/7.

“Then, I was driving back home. I saw this checkpoint at a junction close to my house, although I didn’t see them when I drove off to buy fuel. They asked me to stop. I did and they asked for papers. I showed them; they asked for other things, I gave them.

“Now, as I was about to leave, they said I should come down, that my car is a stolen car. Then, one of the officers slapped me twice because I was trying to explain.

“They brought two different handcuffs and cuffed my hands. Then, they pushed me into a Blue Sienna and one of them took my keys and drove off. Remember, I was in their Sienna. The next place I saw myself was in Atali town in Igbo-Etche.”

He said his captors ransacked his car but could not find anything incriminating in his possession.

Ejiofor continued: “They started searching my phone and found nothing incriminating. Then, they started searching my bank account; but, I didn’t want to open it. So, they started beating me mercilessly. Then, I saw blood gushing and that was when I opened the account and they sent my 444,000 to a POS account and then drove me back to Obiri Ikwerre flyover and gave me my car keys.

“When I checked my car, I found that they had already stolen all the cash in my car plus other important stuff. This was pure cruelty.”

Reacting to the vices perpetrated by AKS operatives, the National Coordinator, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, urged the new Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, to direct that the findings on the activities AKS operatives should be made public.

He said: “Any officer found culpable in the report should be sanctioned in accordance with the law.

Anti-Torture Act 2017, signed by late President Muhammadu Buhari, prohibits torture against suspects in any manner and clearly spells out the sanctions for any person or officers engaged in torture, as torture is not part of modern-day policing.”

Kaduna: AKS must not become SARS

A lawyer and Dean of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) School of Law, Prof. Mohammed Bello Magaji, has warned that the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) must not repeat the mistakes that led to a loss of public trust in the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

“As a lawyer and retired military officer, my assessment of the operations of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) in Kaduna State must be balanced, professional, and rooted in both security realities and the rule of law.

“There is no doubt that kidnapping has evolved into a serious threat to national security, particularly in Kaduna State, requiring a specialised and proactive response from law enforcement agencies. The establishment of the AKS was, therefore, a necessary and commendable step toward addressing a complex and dangerous crime.

“However, the growing concerns and complaints from citizens cannot and should not be ignored. When a security outfit begins to attract allegations similar to those that trailed the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), it is a clear warning sign. We must not repeat the mistakes that led to a loss of public trust in SARS.

“Effective policing, especially in matters as sensitive as kidnapping, depends heavily on public confidence, intelligence sharing, and cooperation. Any perception of abuse of power, unlawful detention, extortion, or disregard for human rights undermines this cooperation and ultimately weakens the fight against crime.

“From a military and legal standpoint, discipline, accountability, and adherence to rules of engagement are non-negotiable. Security operatives must operate within the bounds of the law, respecting the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution while carrying out their duties. The end does not justify the means,” Magaji said.

He said while the AKS remains a vital tool in combating kidnapping, there is an urgent need for strong oversight and internal accountability mechanisms, continuous training on human rights and professional conduct, prompt investigation and sanctioning of erring officers, and improved community engagement to rebuild trust.

As a retired military officer, Magaji noted that security and human rights are not mutually exclusive.

“A professional, disciplined, and law-abiding Anti-Kidnapping Squad will not only be more effective but will also earn the trust and support of the people it is meant to protect. That is the only sustainable path to winning the fight against kidnapping in Kaduna State.”

Chairman, Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF), Elder Sunday Oibe, who also commented on the menace of AKS, called for a supervisory body to checkmate the excesses of the special police unit.

“Those privileged to serve Nigerians at whatever level should not be acting as emperors over the same people that are responsible for paying their salaries.

“Secondly, all those acting as monsters by inflicting pains on Nigerians must not be allowed to enjoy their brutality and high handedness. I am recommending that there should be a supervisory body to audit the activities of AKS because as it is with human institutions, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Edo: AKS operatives harass, intimidate and extort residents

Like other states, Edo state is not immune from the nefarious activities of the state’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) operative who harass, intimidate and extort residents of the state

Speaking on their activities in Benin, a human rights activist, Leftist Osazee Edigin said the inherent problems with police unprofessional conduct is not in nomenclature the squad bears but the amount of responsibilities given to it.

He said It has been noted that over the years, violations of human rights are prevalent with police units given the responsibility to fight violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping.

Comrade Edigin added that owing to the expectations from the society and authorities for them to tame these violent crimes, they go overboard, and in the process trample on the rights of citizens. They engage in extra-judicial killing, prolonged detention and extortion along the way. Little or no probing Is carried out into their modus operandi.

Edigin maintained that the operatives of AKS believe they have to operate beyond stipulated guidelines and protocols to achieve results. This mindset leads to illegal arrest and detention of citizens.

The fear of roping an innocent citizen into a kidnapping case leads to extortion due to the fact that the country’s administration of the criminal justice system grinds slowly and lacks forensic evidence to prove a maliciously charged victim innocent within a short period.

He pointed out that the Nigeria Police Force has not done enough in the area of operating adequate and functional public complaints channels through which citizens can easily report incidents of unprofessional conduct of officers.

He further advised the federal government to put in place heavy administrative and corporal sanctions against any police officer who has operated outside the laid-down guidelines.

Another respondent, David Salami, a lecturer at the University of Benin, said very few people acknowledge the presence of the squad and how it has contributed to the reduction of kidnapping activities in the country. He blamed the squad for the prolonged detention of their victims without charges.

Salami recommended immediate institutional reforms for the squad to restore public trust, ensure accountability, and align their activities with the rule of law and best policing practices.

Benue: ‘AKS extorting innocent citizens instead of hunting kidnappers’

In Benue State, not many people know about the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS). Many who spoke to our correspondent say they know about officers patrolling the communities, but they also stated that they do not know if they are members of any such squad.

A human rights activist told Sunday Sun: “Frankly, I have minimal knowledge of the activities of AKS here in Benue.” Another member of a Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) said, “I honestly don’t know anything about them. Sorry to disappoint you.”

But a resident, Mr Samuel Ede, acknowledged that the squad was set up to comb the bushes and arrest kidnappers terrorising citizens on the highways and bring them to book.

He said, “I believe they are still active, but I think the aim of establishing that squad has been defeated. Because those people are no longer going after the kidnappers in the bush or around the town. They are rather busy extorting money from innocent citizens.

“You see them mount roadblocks. They don’t want to know whether you are carrying human beings in your boot or the person you are carrying on your bike is a victim, or the person driving the car or riding the bike is a suspect. All they want is for you to tip them.

“Once you tip them, you are free to go. That is why the activities of kidnappers are so rampant in our communities. Units of the squads are all over the communities and local government areas, yet kidnappings are taking place in the rural areas.

“Recently, a man coming from Lagos and heading to Maiduguri was kidnapped. The terrorists demanded N400 million before he would be released.

“I witnessed one incident recently when a group of policemen were moving around the streets. They will stop you if you are carrying a bike. And when they stop you, they look at you, and if you are dressed in a particular manner they don’t like, they claim that you are a Yahoo boy. And then they will seize your phone, ransack it and then force you to go to the station and bail yourself.

“Many Innocent people have been victims. Instead of protecting the people, they are intimidating, harassing and extorting money from people. So, they are not doing the job that they were meant to do again.

“I think the new Inspector General of Police needs to restructure that squad. And yes, they need to do proper profiling of those operatives, to ensure that the personnel are up and doing.”

Another resident told a story he said took place about a week earlier when a pastor was returning from his church. He said: “The officers, whom I took to be operatives of the AKS, were on patrol. And so, they saw the guy on a bike. After he passed them, the police driver followed the bike man. They followed the bike man down the street to his house. When he stopped to enter his compound, they accosted him and asked him to enter their vehicle, calling him a fraudster. The man explained that he is a pastor and he was coming from church. They demanded that he should follow them to the police station.

“They carried this boy from his gate to the main road, interrogated him again and when they were convinced that he is a pastor, they said, God has saved you today.”

Oche, who hails from Benue South Local Government Area, lamented that innocent people are harassed while the real culprits go about free. He recalled that early in February, some Catholic worshippers were kidnapped and were made to pay ransom.

“The families contributed money to pay ransom. Few days after that, about 18 passengers travelling from Oju to Akure were also kidnapped. The family of those victims contributed money and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) augmented the money to pay the kidnappers before those passengers were released,” Oche said.

He wondered If the AKS is still operational in the state and called on the new IGP to review their operations.

“The IGP should devise another strategy of checking them before they become a total nightmare to citizens like the SARS,” he said.

Abia: ‘AKS should be sanitised’

In Abia State, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) of the police is not very visible. Their work is carried out mainly by the SCISSORS and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), which replaced the Special Armed Robbery Squad. By virtue of their work, nothing really has changed from the old order in terms of mode of operation; it was only a change of nomenclature.

For instance, sometime last year, a young businessman, Emmanuel Okocha, was shot and killed by one Corporal Obagi Njok of the RRS, at a checkpoint in Aba, Abia State.

Another police officer from the same RRS was reported to have killed a young man at Ugwueke in Bende Local Government Area of the state sometime last year, too.

The Abia State Police Command later dismissed and handed Njok over for prosecution. But the case of Njok and others are just a few out of the many cases in their mould.

When Sunday Sun sought the views of the chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Abia State, Dr Charles Chinekezi, he said: “These officers behave much like a bunch of bandits; they do not play according to the rules of engagement. In the guise of performing their duties, they harass, intimidate, maim and even kill the citizens they are meant to protect and defend.”

Chinekezi condemned the brutality and barbaric approach adopted by the policemen in carrying out their duties.

“It’s unfortunate these police officers adopt the most barbaric and brutal approaches in carrying out their duties which I must say belong to the Stone Age. It was this type of brutality and barbaric acts that led to the #EndSARS protest. Whatever name the squad is called, their mode of operation remains the same.

Ogun: Balance necessary between tackling kidnapping, upholding human rights

Airing his views, National President of the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), Olalekan Olubodun said, “The Anti-kidnapping Squad of the Nigeria Police has been making headlines recently, with some hailing its efforts to curb the rising tide of kidnapping in the country. The squad’s proactive approach, including intelligence-led operations and strategic deployments, has led to several high-profile arrests and rescues. However, concerns are growing about potential abuses of power, given the squad’s broad mandate and the history of police brutality in Nigeria.

“The experience of Nigerians with the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) still looms large, with many wondering if the Anti-kidnapping Squad will follow a similar path of excesses and human rights violations. Reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture by security forces are not new in Nigeria, and it’s crucial that the Anti-kidnapping Squad operates within the bounds of the law and respects citizens’ rights.

“For the squad to be effective and earn public trust, it must strike a delicate balance between tackling kidnapping and upholding human rights. The Nigeria Police Force must ensure that the squad is properly trained, equipped, and held accountable for its actions. Anything short of this could exacerbate the problem, fuelling mistrust and potentially driving more people into the arms of kidnappers and other criminal gangs.”

Kogi: ‘AKS clean as a whistle’

In a surprising twist that would baffle most people, it has emerged that there is yet no reported cases of human right abuses carried out by officers and men of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Kogi State,

Sunday Sun investigations revealed that the AKS operatives are less visible in the fight against terrorism and kidnapping activities in the state as the Army and vigilance groups, along with local hunters, are the main groups being used by the state government.

Civil rights activist and Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights Centre, Comrade Idris Miliki, told Sunday Sun he could not recall any human rights abuses by the AKS in Kogi State.

In seeming confirmation of what Miliki said, two other civil society advocates only talked about the inglorious activities of the disbanded SARS and said nothing about AKS, whose activities in the state are not too open to the general public.

Police puts up defence

In reaction to allegations of brutality and highhandedness against the police, Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, admitted that there is a proliferation of tactical units as a result of the intention of the police to combat the scourge of kidnapping, which has in some instances led to a breakdown in supervision, high-handedness and excesses on the part of officers and men of the Nigeria Police.

The Force PRO told Saturday Sun that “In response to these challenges and to ensure a more professional, people-friendly force, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has recently issued several high-level directives, including drastic reduction of tactical teams, and a nationwide restructuring to curb the proliferation of squads that often operate with minimal oversight.”

According to him, the new standard limits the number of tactical teams for zonal and state commands to five while area commands and divisions are allowed to operate a maximum of three tactical teams.

“This move is designed to ‘free up’ personnel for traditional policing at stations and, more importantly, to ensure that the remaining teams are strictly supervised by senior officers, and zero tolerance for professional misconduct.

“The IGP has explicitly warned that there is zero tolerance for corruption, extortion, and the abuse of office.

“Commissioners of Police (CPs) and Area Commanders are now being held personally accountable for the conduct of personnel under their command. The leadership’s stance is that weak oversight is no longer an excuse for subordinate excesses.

“In recent cases where extortion was proven, the IGP mandated severe disciplinary actions, including Orderly Room Trials and dismissal where necessary, to serve as a deterrent and strengthen oversight units.

“To monitor compliance, the IGP has directed the following units to increase ‘sting operations’ and routine checks on all squads: IGP X-Squad, Monitoring Unit, Complaint Response Unit (CRU).”

According to the Force PRO, there is a renewed focus on modernising investigative techniques to move away from ‘confession-based’ policing (which often leads to high-handedness) toward intelligence-led policing.

He said that a strategic leadership retreat and various workshops have been scheduled to re-orient senior officers on international best practices and human rights.

“These directives,” he explained, “exclude state-established response outfits (like Lagos’s RRS or Bayelsa’s Operation Doo-Akpor), as the focus remains on streamlining the internal structures of the Nigeria Police Force to restore public trust.” (The Sun, excluding headline)