- Safiu Kehinde
A human rights lawyer representing Tracey Ohiri, has accused Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, of serial harassment and assault of over 20 women aside the businesswoman who was arrested and detained for calling out the Minister over N205 million owed debt.
The counsel made the allegation at the court’s hearing of Ohiri’s case on Thursday.
NPO Reported that the police had arraigned the businesswoman after viral video of her confronting Umahi at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command’s conference room.
She was arraigned before the Abuja Magistrate Court which granted her N1 million bail.
Addressing newsmen before the hearing, the defence counsel whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report alleged that over 20 women after Ohiri had come out and recounted similar ordeal they faced in the hand of Umahi.
“She is not the only person David Umahi has done this to. More than 20 women have come out in public to say the moment they ask him to pay their debt, he uses the police harass, arrest, and lock them up.
“And these women have come out to say that Dave Umahi will not pay you once you refuse to sleep with him.” He said.
While charging the Minister to pay up his debt to the woman, the counsel urged President Bola Tinubu to call Umahi to order and demanded mandating the new Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to act within the mandate of his office.
“No matter what the allegation is, if you are owing for a contract she has delivered and have documents in that regard, you are bound to pay her and you have no right under the law to start using the police as a means of suppressing people.
“We are urging Mr. President to call Dave Umahi to order and to also mandate this new Police IG that he must act squarely within the mandate of his office.” He said.
Meanwhile, what started as a conference room outburst and challenge of a powerful political figure by an aggrieved civilian had fast transitioned into a full-blown protest on Friday as a group of women took to the street of Abuja on Friday in solidarity with Ohiri.