RULAAC recalled that 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.
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the continued detention of 21-year-old trainee nurse, Miss Princess Nmesoma Chukwunyere, by the Imo State Police Command, describing it as a grave injustice and a “disturbing test of law, conscience, and accountability.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Executive Director, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC recalled that Nmesoma has been held unlawfully for more than three months at the infamous Tiger Base facility in Owerri, despite petitions, legal demands, and constitutional guarantees of personal liberty.
“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, 21-year-old trainee nurse, Miss Princess Nmesoma Chukwunyere, remains in unlawful detention at the infamous Tiger Base facility in Owerri,” the statement read.
“This 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.”
RULAAC recalled that 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 allegedly linked to a robbery that took place on June 22, almost a month before she was picked up.
Her father, Mr. Gabriel Ekechukwu, said she was detained at the Orlu Police Division for three weeks, during which she was tortured and threatened with being shot if she refused to confess.
Despite searches of her home and examination of her bank records revealing nothing incriminating, she was later transferred, reportedly at the instigation of the pharmacy’s owner, Mr. Declan, to Tiger Base in Owerri.
RULAAC noted that after the transfer, other suspects who had earlier declared her innocent suddenly reversed their statements, raising serious concerns about coercion and manipulation of evidence.
“As of today, Nmesoma has spent over 80 days in police custody without charge or trial,” the statement continued.
“She has not been arraigned before any court, nor has any credible evidence been presented against her.”
The group said that despite its petition dated September 18, 2025, and a formal letter from her father’s lawyer dated October 2 demanding her release or arraignment, the police have remained silent.
“This is not only unlawful; it is unconscionable,” RULAAC stated. “Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees the right to personal liberty and requires that anyone arrested must be charged before a court within 24 hours where a court exists within 40 kilometres, or within 48 hours otherwise.”
RULAAC described the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, popularly known as Tiger Base, as a notorious hub of 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,” the statement said.
“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.”
The group called for the immediate release of Nmesoma or her arraignment before a competent court if credible evidence exists.
It also urged the Imo State Commissioner of Police to investigate officers named in the case, IPO Osinachi at Orlu Division and Inspector Chidi Igwe at Tiger Base, for alleged torture and unlawful detention.
RULAAC further demanded that the alleged role of Mr. Declan, the pharmacy owner, 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,” Nwanguma said.
“The continued detention of Nmesoma is not just a local issue; it is a national test of leadership, oversight, and reform.
“No reform agenda can succeed when torture and impunity remain entrenched in police operations.”
RULAAC said Nmesoma’s case typifies the broader crisis of human rights violations in Nigeria’s policing system.
“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,” the statement concluded.
“Justice delayed is justice denied, but justice ignored is justice buried. The time to act is now.”