Family members claim he was tortured and stabbed in the neck by officers identified simply as Moses and Blessing, despite repeated pleas from his children for his release.
The family of Levi Opara, a 46-year-old businessman and father of five from Emekuku in the Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, is demanding justice after he reportedly died under suspicious and violent circumstances while in the custody of the Imo State Police Command’s Anti–Kidnapping Unit, popularly known as Tiger Base.
Opara, who was arrested over what relatives describe as a “domestic misunderstanding” between him and his wife, allegedly died less than one week after his detention.
Family members claim he was tortured and stabbed in the neck by officers identified simply as Moses and Blessing, despite repeated pleas from his children for his release.
One of Opara’s twin daughters recounted the chilling threats the family received from the officers handling the case.
“One policeman, Moses, told us that our father would not be released,” she narrated in an interview with an Imo based journalist and human rights activist, Nonsonkwa.
“He said no amount of money or connection would save him. We begged him and told him it was a family problem between our parents, but he refused.”
She narrated that officers repeatedly asked them to return on different days, assuring them that Opara was simply “sleeping” or unavailable for visitation.
“On Tuesday we went back and they told us he was in deep sleep. When we insisted, they still refused to allow us near him,” she said. “The next day, when we returned with our aunt, my mother, and other relatives, they told us he reported sick around 6am and died on the way to the police clinic.”
According to the family, police officers initially insisted Opara died of an illness after being moved to their clinic.
However, the family resisted police attempts to conduct an autopsy without their consent. They insisted on bringing their own medical expert.
“Officer Blessing told us that it was a police case and that they would be the ones to carry out the autopsy,” a family member said.
“We refused. We told them the family would decide that.”
A joint autopsy conducted by both the police-appointed doctor and the family’s independent pathologist reportedly revealed that Opara had been stabbed in the neck, contradicting the police explanation.
The family also expressed shock when they said they saw his remains already embalmed at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, without their prior authorisation.
“We asked to see his body, and when we got to FMC, they had already embalmed him,” the daughter added.
“It was clear they were hiding something.”
Relatives insist Opara was not involved in any criminal activity and was wrongfully kept in a unit known for harsh interrogations and extrajudicial abuses.
“This was a civil, family matter between husband and wife,” a cousin said. “There was no criminal petition. So why was he taken to Tiger Base — a place meant for hardened criminals or kidnap suspects?”
The incident has triggered outrage on social media after journalist and activist Nonsonkwa, who shared the family’s testimony on X, called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the officers involved.
“This is one more example of unchecked brutality by some units of the police,” the activist said.
“A man was arrested over a domestic issue and returned to his family in a body bag. This cannot be swept under the carpet.”
The Opara family is now calling on the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and human rights organisations to intervene.
“We want justice. We want everyone involved in our father’s killing to face the law,” the family said. “He left five children behind. They deserve the truth.”
SaharaReporters reports that the Tiger Base anti-kidnapping unit in Owerri stands accused of targeting innocent Igbo youths with extortion up to N10 million, extrajudicial killings, and horrific abuses like organ harvesting.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Police Command has not issued an official statement addressing the allegations.