Former Imo Commissioner Fabian Ihekweme Hospitalised After 61 Days In Police Detention For Allegedly Criticising Governor Uzodimma
Tiger Base is the police detention centre in Owerri where he was held incommunicado and tortured, SaharaReporters learnt.
Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, a strong critic of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, is currently hospitalised after spending 61 days in Tiger Base.
Tiger Base is the police detention centre in Owerri where he was held incommunicado and tortured, SaharaReporters learnt.
Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, posted on social media on November 28, 2024 that Ihekweme was arrested at his Abuja residence on November 27, 2024 in the presence of his family and transported to Owerri, Imo State capital.
Adeyanju had posted, “Dr Fabian Ihekweme, a critic, was abducted by policemen yesterday in front of his wife and children in their Abuja home and taken to Owerri. His crime: criticising Hope Uzodimma, Imo state governor. Like Uzodinma, like Burna Boy.”
Ihekweme, is a former governorship candidate in Imo who joined forces with Governor Uzodimma in the 2019 governorship election, and was later appointed the Commissioner of Foreign and International Relations.
But before Uzodimma’s first term expired, both parted ways.
He became a vocal critic of Uzodimma’s administration, and continually asked Uzodimma to end what he described as oppressive practice and address issues of transparency and accountability in governance in the state rather than hounding dissent voices advocating for democratic governance.
SaharaReporters gathered that a coalition of 13 civil society organizations had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urging him to take decisive action, especially against bad elements within the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (Tiger Base) and SID in Imo State as the unit has allegedly become tools of state repression and tyranny.
Part of the CSOs’ petition to the IGP read, “We, the undersigned civil society organizations in Southeast Nigeria, express our profound concern over the recent cases of Chinonso Uba (Nonso Nkwa) and Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, who have become the latest victims of the oppressive regime under Governor Hope Uzodinma. (Chinonso Uba, is a human rights activist who has been detained on and off by the governor).
“Utilizing the Anti-Kidnapping Unit at Tiger Base, and the State Investigation Department (SID) of the Imo State Police Command Owerri, Gov Hope Uzodimma has resorted to abduction-style tactics against perceived opponents, leading to prolonged detentions, remanding of individuals in prison, and deliberately stalling their trials to silence dissent and keep them out of public view.
“We urge the Inspector-General of Police and the police service commission (the external oversight body for the police) to take action against the misconduct of these rogue units and ensure accountability within the police force.”
The groups which signed the petition include Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC); Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD), Abia State; Sisters With A Goal Initiative (SWAG), Imo state; Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS), Abia State; Concerned Citizens for Good Governance, Owerri; Center For Rural, Economic & Social Development (CREESOD); Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), Imo State, and several others.
SaharaReporters also learned that during her husband’s 61-day detention, Mrs. Excel Ihekweme petitioned the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and President Bola Tinubu, regarding the unlawful arrest and detention of her husband.
In two letters dated December 13, 2024, written on her behalf by the rights group Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse & Torture, Excel also sought the intervention of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The petition was signed by the Executive Director of the group, Comrade Gerald Katchy, and titled, “Complaint of Abuse of Power and Office by Security and Enforcement Agencies and Disregard to the Rule of Law: A Menace to the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency.”
The former commissioner’s wife alleged that her husband was forcefully arrested in his Abuja residence by the police without an arrest warrant and had since been in detention.
According to her, her husband’s plight began when he asked Governor Uzodimma to prioritise the needs of the citizens of the state and deliver on his campaign promises.
She lamented that the act of accountability demanded by her husband regrettably led to his persecution.
In two other letters she personally signed and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the NHRC and President of the NBA, she alleged misconduct by the Nigerian police against her husband.
Part of the letter read, “I am seeking your urgent intervention in this grave matter involving gross violation of the fundamental right of a citizen of Nigeria, Dr Fabian Ihekweme, my husband, and an action of the police against the rule of law, the Nigerian constitution and the justice systems within the Nigeria Police Force.
“On November 27, 2024, unidentified armed men forcefully abducted Dr Ihekweme from his home without a warrant, due process, or access to his legal counsel.
“His phone was confiscated, and he was denied necessary medical care. For over 24 hours, his family had no knowledge of his whereabouts until the police issued a statement confirming his detention.
“Currently, Dr Fabian Ihekweme is being held at the infamous Tiger Base police unit, subjected to inhumane treatment and unjustly accused of sponsoring the Eastern Security Network (ESN)—a baseless allegation aimed at discrediting his integrity and silencing his voice.
“This ordeal has left his family, including his children, traumatised and mentally distressed. His arrest and detention without recourse to justice or medical attention are not only a violation of his constitutional rights but also a grave affront to the principles of democracy, freedom of expression, and good governance.”
Meanwhile, according to a document obtained by SaharaReporters, Ihekweme was compelled to sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour.
The undertaking dated January 27, 2025, read, “I Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, a native of Mgboma Alike in ObowoLGA, do hereby undertake to be of good behaviour to Imo State Government and to refrain from any conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
“I also promise to refrain from any article that is capable of inciting the general public against the government.
“I hereby and wish to categorically state that I regret the inciting articles I had written against the government which are fallacies and unverified. I wish also to state clearly that the Governor still remains my friend and leader.
“I wish to finally thank the Nigeria Police Force and the team of officers who investigated my matter for being highly professional. Even when I was sick, they showed so much concern and displayed a high level of professionalism by providing adequate medical attention for me. Kudos to Tiger Base.”
SaharaReporters has received video evidence indicating that Ihekweme, who was released on Thursday, is currently admitted to an undisclosed hospital in the state where he is receiving medical treatment.
WATCH: Former Imo Commissioner Fabian Ihekweme Hospitalised After 61 Days In Police Detention For Allegedly Criticising Governor Uzodimma pic.twitter.com/dtDMj2pz6B
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) January 31, 2025
