Imo Police’s injustice against Nmesoma: A disturbing test of law, conscience, accountability

More than three months after her arrest, and nearly three weeks after the matter was formally brought to the attention of the Imo State Police Command and higher authorities by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), 21-year-old trainee nurse, Miss Princess Nmesoma Chukwunyere, remains in unlawful detention at the infamous Tiger Base facility in Owerri.

According to the Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, the continued detention – in total disregard of the Nigerian Constitution, police regulations, and even a formal demand letter from her father’s lawyer – is a chilling reminder of the deepening crisis of lawlessness and impunity within sections of the Nigeria Police Force, particularly in Imo State.

Nmesoma, a student nurse at Mother of Mercy Hospital and Maternity, Orlu, was arrested on July 15, 2025, while working part-time at Evergreen Pharmacy in Umudiato, Orlu.

Her arrest was linked to a robbery incident that allegedly occurred at the residence of the pharmacy’s owner, Mr. Declan, on June 22 – almost a month before she was picked up.

According to her father, Mr. Gabriel Ekechukwu, Nmesoma was detained at the Orlu Police Division for three weeks, during which she was subjected to torture and threats of being shot if she did not confess to a crime she knew nothing about.

Despite searches of her home revealing no incriminating evidence and her bank records showing nothing but tuition payments from her sponsor, she was later transferred – reportedly at the instigation of the pharmacy owner – to the dreaded Tiger Base unit in Owerri.

It was after this transfer that other suspects, who had earlier told police she was innocent, suddenly reversed their statements.

The development, coming after their relocation to Tiger Base, raises strong suspicions of coercion and manipulation of evidence – a recurring pattern in many cases of police torture documented by RULAAC over the years.

Nmesoma has spent over 80 days in police custody without charge or trial. She has not been arraigned before any court, nor has any credible evidence been presented against her.

Instead, the Imo State Police Command has continued to ignore all appeals for her release – including RULAAC’s petition dated September 18, 2025, and a formal letter from her father’s lawyer, dated October 2, 2025, demanding her release or arraignment.

This is not only unlawful; it is unconscionable. Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the right to personal liberty and stipulates that anyone arrested must be charged before a court within a “reasonable time” – defined as 24 hours where a court exists within 40 kilometers, or 48 hours in other cases.

To hold a young woman for more than three months without charge is a flagrant violation of her fundamental rights, a travesty of justice, and a stain on the image of the Nigeria Police Force.

The Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, infamously known as Tiger Base, has, over the years, gained notoriety for torture, extortion, and extra-judicial abuses.

Numerous petitions, media reports, and human rights investigations have detailed how suspects are detained indefinitely, brutalized, and coerced into false confessions to justify arbitrary arrests.

That this discredited unit continues to operate unchecked – despite repeated outcries – reflects the depth of institutional impunity and the failure of internal oversight mechanisms in the Nigeria Police Force.

Equally troubling is the silence of the Imo State Police Command since RULAAC’s petition was submitted. Despite being furnished with detailed information, including witness statements, documentary evidence, and contact details of all parties, the Command has neither responded nor taken visible steps to correct the injustice.

This silence is not neutrality; it is complicity. It sends a dangerous signal that police officers can ignore lawful petitions, defy constitutional obligations, and continue to hold citizens incommunicado without consequence.

RULAAC once again calls for the immediate release of Miss Nmesoma Chukwunyere, or, if credible evidence exists, her prompt arraignment before a competent court of law. Anything less is an abuse of power and a violation of the rule of law.

The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, must also order a thorough investigation into the conduct of the officers involved – notably IPO Osinachi at Orlu Division and Inspector Chidi Igwe at Tiger Base – for alleged torture, coercion, and unlawful detention.

The alleged role of Mr. Declan, the pharmacy owner, must also be investigated to ensure that private interests are not allowed to pervert the course of justice.

The Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission cannot look away. The continued detention of Nmesoma is not just a local issue – it is a national test of leadership, oversight, and reform.

If the current police administration is truly committed to accountability and human rights, it must act decisively to end this injustice and discipline the officers involved.

No reform agenda can succeed when torture and impunity remain entrenched in police operations.

Nmesoma’s case is not an isolated one; it represents countless others who have suffered in silence under a policing system that often forgets its purpose – to protect, not persecute.

Her continued detention is a symbol of the impunity that RULAAC and other human rights advocates have long warned against.