Source: Amnesty International –
Nigeria: Tiger Base police unit involved in rampant violations including extrajudicial executions, torture and extortion
Source: Amnesty International –
- Detainees routinely taken out of cell and shot dead
- Suspects tortured to make confessions
- Families of suspects that died suddenly harassed for seeking justice
- Point of Sale (POS) used to extract lucrative bribes
A Nigerian police unit set up to tackle kidnapping and armed robbery in Imo state has instead been unlawfully killing suspects, torturing and ill-treating detainees to coerce them into confessing to bogus crimes, and arresting people for the sole purpose of extracting lucrative bribes for their release, Amnesty International said today.
Based in Owerri, the capital of Imo state, the police unit known as “Tiger Base” is increasingly being used to arrest and detain people to settle scores, including land disputes and family conflicts. Amnesty International’s investigation Tiger Base of Atrocities: Human Rights Violations by Nigeria Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Owerri published today found that detainees are kept in filthy, windowless cells and subjected to regular beatings. Many are locked up for weeks or months, without charge. Others have been shot or forcibly disappeared.
“Tiger Base has become synonymous with police operating outside of the law and abusing their power to enrich themselves through extortion. The atrocities committed by the Tiger Base police unit is yet another sign of the Nigerian authorities’ failure to end widespread torture, extrajudicial execution, extortion and other crimes at the hands of law enforcement. Many are traumatized forever. Despite the horrific violations they have suffered, there has been no accountability to date,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
Torture, ill-treatment and prolonged unlawful detention
Many detainees locked up at Tiger Base’s detention centre are not asked for their statements regarding the allegations they face, and neither are they brought before a court. This enables the police to unlawfully detain people for indefinite periods of time without arraignment, thereby depriving them of essential procedural safeguards.
One survivor of prolonged unlawful detention told Amnesty International:
“They arrested me insisting I bought stolen items. I told them I didn’t know anything about it. They locked me up and seized my phone. After about three weeks, a police officer came to take my statement. Still, they kept me locked up…. They later told us that the complainant claimed her loss was worth ₦14 million (US$9,500) but that she agreed to collect ₦4.5 million (US$3,100) instead. They said if I wanted to be released, my family would pay.”
Former detainees said they were forced to write incriminating statements under torture, which included severe beatings with iron rods and cables. Knives, machetes, batons, water and whips were also used to torture suspects. Some detainees were tied up with ropes so that their bodies were hanging. Then they were cut and their wounds left to bleed.
Many people disappeared after being moved to Cell 1; nobody ever saw them again.
Former detainee
The resulting coerced “confessions” were used by police to demand a bribe that would have to be paid before a detainee could be released on bail. Former detainees said Tiger Base officers illegally arrest and detain dozens of people every day with the sole aim of extorting money from their relatives in exchange for suspects being released.
There is a thriving illegal point of sale (POS) business within the premises of the Tiger Base detention centre. In Nigeria, handheld POS machines act like an ATM allowing people to withdraw cash instantly from their bank accounts.
Our investigation shows that, at Tiger Base, officials from time to time take out inmates from the cells and shoot them. A survivor told our organization: “The other guy took him out, we heard gunshots, we thought they had killed him but after some hours in the night he came into the cell. We looked at his leg, and they shot him. He is carrying bullet wounds inside the cell with us; nobody cares.”
Inhuman and degrading conditions in detention
Each of Tiger Base’s four main detention cells measures about 12 feet by 12 feet with more than 70 people squeezed inside. As a result, detainees are forced to take turns either to sit or squat.
Testimonies collected by Amnesty International indicated that few people sent to Cell 1 came out alive. According to a former detainee: “If you survive Cell 1, it is only by God’s grace. Many people disappeared after being moved there; nobody ever saw them again.”
There are no windows in the cells and only one toilet per cell, which overflows with waste as people are forced to urinate, defecate and sleep in the same small place. The stench is unbearable. Former detainees reported seeing their cellmates passing out from overcrowding, intense heat and exhaustion.
“People [in the cells] will be crying: ‘someone is dying here!’ They [officials] will still lock the cell gate…Then, even if they bring you out, they will still beat you up to see whether you are pretending or not. Then, they will take you out and keep you in the corridor for air. If you regain consciousness, they will throw you back into the cell…” one former detainee told Amnesty International.
Deaths in detention
Several people were reported to have died in the Tiger Base detention centre. In 2022, three youth leaders handed over a suspect to the Tiger Base unit. About three months later, the young man, Okechukwu Ogbedagu, died in detention.
Amnesty International has reviewed an autopsy report which showed that Okechukwu Ogbedagu died of asphyxiation. To cover up their atrocity, Tiger Base officers charged the three youth leaders who handed Okechukwu Ogbedagu to them with murder. They were released after about six months.
In another case documented by Amnesty International, on or around 5 May 2025, Japhet Njoku, a security guard who was accused of stealing, died in Tiger Base detention. Police officials told his family members following days of repeated demands, that he was beaten to death in his cell. Since then, Tiger Base officials have frustrated every attempt to conduct a coroner court-ordered autopsy to ascertain the cause of Japhet Njoku’s death—they have failed to turn up for the autopsy on four different occasions, despite the availability of the court-appointed pathologists.
Police impunity
“The atrocities committed by the Tiger Base police unit is yet another sign of the Nigerian authorities’ failure to end widespread torture, extrajudicial execution, extortion and other crimes at the hands of law enforcement. It appears the police have not learnt any lessons from the #EndSARS protests. Instead of being held accountable, corrupt police officers have been emboldened to commit human rights violations by the impunity they enjoy,” said Isa Sanusi.
The atrocities committed by the Tiger Base police unit is yet another sign of the Nigerian authorities’ failure to end widespread torture, at the hands of law enforcement.
Isa Sanusi, Country Director, Amnesty International Nigeria
The Nigerian authorities must promptly establish an independent, impartial and effective investigation of the atrocities committed by Tiger Base unit police officers in Owerri, Imo state. The investigation must also examine the conduct of the Commander and other officers at the Tiger Base detention centre, their involvement in human rights violations, corrupt practices and other misconducts.
Police officers at Tiger Base are not above the law and must comply with the provisions of section 62 of the Police Act, which requires anyone arrested for a non-capital offence to be released within 24 hours with or without surety.
“Under Nigeria’s constitution and international and regional human rights treaties authorities have an obligation to ensure that human rights violations uncovered at Tiger Base are investigated and suspected perpetrators brought to justice, while victims receive adequate reparation,” Isa Sanusi.
BACKGROUND
The Anti-Kidnapping Squad, popularly known as Tiger Base, operates under the Imo state Police Command located in Owerri south-east Nigeria. Originally established to investigate and combat kidnapping-related crimes, the unit has significantly deviated from its core mandate. In recent years, Tiger Base has become notorious for systemic abuse, including, unlawful arrests, prolonged arbitrary detention, torture, extortion, enforced disappearances – including the removal of children from their mothers without records – and corruption.
Chatham House appoints Owen Jenkins as Research Director for Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and Asia Pacific
Source: Chatham House –
Chatham House appoints Owen Jenkins as Research Director for Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and Asia Pacific
News release
jon.wallace
Owen will join Chatham House on 9 March.
Owen Jenkins will join Chatham House as Research Director for Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and Asia Pacific on 9 March.
Owen is a senior British diplomat and highly experienced leader in international affairs. He most recently served in the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as Director General for the Indo-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and was previously the UK’s ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Earlier in his career, he worked as Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan to two prime ministers, and held diplomatic roles in Turkey, Argentina, Brussels and India.
Bronwen Maddox said:
‘Owen’s depth of regional and global experience makes him exceptionally well suited to join our Executive Leadership Team, providing leadership across Chatham House’s Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and Asia Pacific Programmes.
‘This role is central to guiding our work on the evolving world order and shifting global alliances – questions shaped by the increasing influence of China, the assertiveness of regional powers, and the ambitions of countries across the Global South.
‘Owen’s experience working at the highest levels of diplomacy will be invaluable in sharpening our analysis, strengthening our external influence and developing our ideas.’
Owen said:
‘I’m thrilled to be taking up this great job at one of the world’s leading international policy institutes. I have drawn on Chatham House’s expertise in every job I’ve done, from gaining insight into the Balkan wars in the 1990s to understanding Indonesia as British ambassador there.
‘I look forward to working with the impressive teams in the Africa, Middle East and North Africa and Asia Pacific programmes and to using my own knowledge to increase still further the impact of Chatham House’s work.’
IAEA Convenes ZODIAC Week in Vienna to Strengthen Global Defences Against Future Pandemics
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Sophie Ramirez, IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Participants at the Central Veterinary Laboratory of Bingerville (LCVB), Côte d’Ivoire are trained in Minion Next Generation Sequencing by an expert from the Joint FAO/IAEA Animal Production and Health Laboratory.
Global experts have gathered in Vienna for a week-long event to strengthen countries’ preparedness for future zoonotic disease outbreaks.
What is ZODIAC Week?
The Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) is the IAEA’s flagship initiative to address zoonotic diseases to safeguard human and animal health.
“ZODIAC was launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with a clear purpose: to help ensure the world would be better prepared for the next zoonotic outbreak,” said Najat Mokhtar, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications. “What makes this initiative unique is the network gathered here today: a combination of scientific excellence, operational capacity, and field-level implementation. This week is about connecting these dots to create a shield of global readiness.”
Participants of the ZODIAC Ad-Hoc Scientific Panel (ZOSP) gathered in Vienna to kick off ZODIAC week from 23-28 February 2026. (Photo: IAEA)
How Does ZODIAC Prevent Pandemics?
The ZODIAC initiative has many interconnected pillars, reflected by this week’s programme. Plenary lectures by international scientists will reflect topics related to the initiative’s work, from preventing zoonotic spillover to building technological platforms for rapid pathogen discovery. Participants will also receive updates on the progress across the initiative’s five pillars, from enhancing diagnostic capacities and advancing research and development to leveraging big data and artificial intelligence for real-time decision-making.
Since its launch in June 2020, ZODIAC has helped strengthen member countries’ abilities to rapidly detect and respond to zoonotic threats. To date, the initiative has supported 52 laboratories across all regions with essential equipment and established nine Whole Genome Sequencing hubs in low- and middle-income countries. A hub in Senegal has already sequenced the full genome of the Rift Valley Fever virus circulating in the region, providing critical information to control outbreaks that affect both people and livestock.
What are the Aims of ZODIAC Week?
ZODIAC Week is structured to foster dialogue and collaboration between its key bodies. The first in-person session of the ZODIAC Ad-Hoc Scientific Panel , composed of independent scientists from all regions, will provide scientific guidance and recommendations for the initiative’s future direction, including exploring new strategies like irradiated vaccines and antimicrobial resistance control.
Simultaneously, the first Research Coordination Meeting (RCM) of the new coordinated research projects (CRP) for Africa, funded by Japan, will begin its work. The project aims to strengthen surveillance systems across the continent by accelerating sample collection, improving diagnostic accuracy, and understanding pathogen genetics. These efforts are running in parallel with the ZODIAC National Laboratories (ZNLs) Implementation Meeting, which brings together lab representatives to foster collaboration and coordinate surveillance and response strategies.
Training on field sampling and nanopore sequencing of zoonotic pathogens in 2025, in Cambodia. (Photo: Institute of Pasteur, Cambodia).
How will Research Translate into Practical Tools for Countries Around the World?
A highlight of the week will be a joint visit to the Joint FAO/IAEA Animal Production and Health Laboratory in Seibersdorf. This visit will link high-level discussions with laboratory practice, allowing participants to see research and nuclear related technologies that are then transferred to countries through fellowships, scientific visits and training .
“We extend sincere appreciation to our donor Member States, whose commitment makes this progress possible,” said Deputy Director General Mokhtar. “ZODIAC’s strength lies in its global network and shared purpose. Over the coming days, we will build the synergies needed to ensure that when the next outbreak occurs, the world is ready.”
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Humanitarian organisations petition Israeli High Court as closure deadline approaches
Source: Oxfam –
The clock is ticking on a large part of the humanitarian response sustaining civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Thirty-seven international aid organisations have been ordered by Israeli authorities to cease operations in the occupied Palestinian territory by the end of February under revised Israeli registration rules. With efforts to force closures imminent, a group of leading humanitarian organisations have taken the unprecedented step of jointly petitioning the Israeli High Court to suspend the measures before irreparable harm is done to civilians who rely on their assistance.
On 30 December 2025, the affected organisations were formally notified that their Israeli registrations would expire the following day and that they would have 60 days to wind down activities in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The notification letter stated that the decision could only be overturned if organisations completed the full registration process, with which they cannot legally or ethically comply.
Efforts to force closures could begin as early as 28 February 2026. The effect would be immediate, extending well beyond individual organisations to the wider humanitarian system. In Gaza, families remain dependent on external assistance amid continuing restrictions on aid entry and renewed strikes in densely populated areas. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, military incursions, demolitions, displacement, settlement expansion and settler violence are driving rising humanitarian needs.
Palestinian Authority registration provides the lawful basis for international NGOs to operate in Palestinian territory. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power must facilitate relief for civilians under its control. Conditioning humanitarian presence on sweeping administrative demands, including the transfer of comprehensive national staff lists, alongside vague and politicised grounds for denial, risks disrupting life-saving services and eroding the obligation to ensure civilian welfare under occupation.
The demand to transfer personal data raises acute security and legal risks. It exposes national staff to potential retaliation and undermines established data protection and confidentiality safeguards. For European organisations in particular, compliance would create serious legal and contractual liabilities. More broadly, such requirements set a precedent that could chill principled humanitarian engagement in highly politicised contexts.
International NGOs have proposed practical alternatives, including independent sanctions screening and donor-audited vetting systems, that preserve both compliance and staff protection without disclosing personal data. No substantive response has been provided. Enforcement has meanwhile begun in practice, including blocked supplies and denial of visas and access for foreign staff.
Alongside UN agencies and Palestinian partners, international NGOs support or implement the delivery of more than half of all food assistance in Gaza, 60 per cent of field hospitals’ operations, nearly three quarters of shelter and non-food item activities, all inpatient treatment for children suffering severe acute malnutrition and 30 per cent of emergency education services, in addition to funding over half of explosive hazard clearance.
The petition seeks an urgent Interim Injunction to suspend expiry of registrations and prevent further enforcement pending judicial review. The petitioning organisations contend that these administrative measures constitute an effort to curtail established humanitarian operations in a manner incompatible with the obligations of an occupying power under international humanitarian law.
Governments must act urgently to prevent implementation of these measures and to ensure that humanitarian relief remains principled, independent, and unhindered. If these measures take effect, aid will be impeded not because needs have eased, but because it has been rendered optional, conditional, or politicised. At a moment when civilians depend on assistance to survive, that outcome would carry immediate and irreversible human consequences.
Petitioners and supporting organizations
1. All We Can
2. ActionAid Australia
3. Alianza Por La Solidaridad
4. Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA)
5. Bystanders No More
6. CADUS e.V.
7. Choose Love
8. Christian Aid
9. Churches for Middle East Peace
10. DanChurchAid
11. Danish Refugee Council
12. Diakonia, Sweden
13. Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International
14. Medico International
15. Middle East Children’s Alliance
16. Movimiento por la Paz, Desarme y Libertad – MPDL
17. Muslim Aid
18. Nonviolent Peaceforce
19. Norwegian Church Aid
20. Norwegian Refugee Council
21. Oxfam
22. Pax Christi International
23. Première Urgence Internationale (PUI)
24. Pro Peace
25. Refugees International
26. Start Network
27. Tearfund
28. Terre des hommes Italy
29. Terre des hommes Lausanne (Tdh)
30. United Against Inhumanity
31. Weltfriedensdienst e.V. (WFD; World Peace Service)
Executive Summary – Joint Petition against the Inter-Ministerial Team:
1. Introduction
This Petition is filed by 17 leading international humanitarian aid organizations (INGOs) and the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) which form the critical infrastructure for providing medical services, food, and water to the civilian population in the West Bank and Gaza. The Petitioners challenge the Respondents’ December 2025 decision, which orders the “termination of their activities” due to their refusal to provide personal contact details (Nominal Lists) of thousands of local employees. The Petition presents an unprecedented “legal deadlock” in which the demands of the Israeli administration directly contradict international
privacy laws and the fundamental principles of humanitarian neutrality.
2. Urgent Request for an Interim Injunction
The Petitioners seek an interim Injunction to preserve the status quo and prevent the expiration of their registration, the deportation of foreign staff and cessation of all activities until a final ruling is reached. It is argued that the “Balance of Convenience” clearly favors the Petitioners: while the Respondents will suffer no harm by maintaining the current situation, the cessation of the organizations’ activities will lead to a humanitarian collapse and irreparable harm to the right
to life and health of hundreds of thousands of individuals in need.
3. Legal Arguments
A. Breach of the Inter-Ministerial Team’s Basic Obligations as an Administrative Authority
The Respondents’ conduct is tainted by administrative laches (undue delay) and a lack of good faith. The Respondents delayed their response to registration requests for many months while creating a false representation that the applications were under review. These draconian requirements were imposed without granting a Right to be Heard and without meaningful dialogue, violating the heightened duty of fairness applicable to the authority.
B. The Requirement for Employees’ Personal Details (Nominal Lists)
B.1 GDPR Regulation and the “Adequacy” Issue: The Petitioners, who are bound by European law, demonstrate that transferring employee data from the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) to Israeli security authorities constitutes a criminal and administrative offense. Since the European Union’s “Adequacy” decision regarding Israel does not apply to the territories, the organizations are exposed to heavy fines and tort claims. The Petition relies on the Schrems II precedent of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which prohibits data transfer to jurisdictions lacking independent judicial oversight over security agencies.
B.2 The Demand for Employee Details and Violation of International Law: The requirement to provide personal phone numbers and contact details of the entire staff violates the principle of “Data Minimization” and endangers the personal safety of the employees. Turning humanitarian organizations into an information-gathering arm for a party to the conflict stands in total contradiction to the principle of neutrality.
C. The Decision for a Sweeping Cessation of Activity is Void Due to Illegality
C.1 Decision Lacking Authority (Ultra Vires): The Team’s government mandate is limited to technical registration and visas. Assuming the authority to order the termination of an international organization’s activities is an extreme deviation from authority without an explicit legal source.
C.2 Deviation from Israel’s Sovereignty (Oslo Accords): Pursuant to the Civil Annex of the Oslo Accords, the authority to register and manage NGOs operating in Palestinian Authority territories was transferred to the Palestinians. Israel lacks the authority to order the closure of these entities.
D. Regulation Article 8.4 – Voidness due to Lack of Authority and Breach of International Law
The Petitioners challenge the article in the regulation that allows for the suspension of registration based on vague “security considerations” without a duty of specification or reasoning.
D.1 Applicability of Article 63 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: This article imposes an obligation on the Occupying Power to allow relief societies to continue their work. The Petition relies on expert legal opinions establishing that this provision fully applies to International NGOs (INGOs) performing essential humanitarian functions.
E. Extreme Unreasonableness and Lack of Proportionality
The decision fails the “Proportionality Stricto Sensu” test: the limited administrative-security benefit of collecting phone numbers is dwarfed by the catastrophic human damage caused by withholding aid from the population. The Respondents refused to consider “less restrictive means,” such as cross-referencing names against public global terror lists.
F. Violation of Israel’s Obligations to Facilitate Humanitarian Aid
As an Occupying Power, Israel bears positive obligations (Articles 55, 56, and 59 of the Convention) to ensure the supply of food and medical services. Arbitrary and bureaucratic interference with organizations fulfilling these duties constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the directives of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Ukrainian ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi says future wars will require ‘technological alliances, not treaty articles’
Source: Chatham House –
Ukrainian ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi says future wars will require ‘technological alliances, not treaty articles’
News release
thilton.drupal
The Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK addressed the evolution of the war in the four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, and the future ‘robotization’ of war.
At Chatham House, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK said future conflicts will be fought by ‘autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic systems’.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, delivered a speech at the London-based international affairs think-tank on Monday 23 February, presenting his insights on the transformation of battlefield war and marking four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine.
Zaluzhnyi said technological advancements will transform the future of war, stating that modern conflicts have gone beyond conventional weapons and tactics.
‘Robotization’
Zaluzhnyi added that the ‘robotization’ of warfare will ensure military effectiveness without the need for human involvement, and that, as a result, there will be fewer casualties.