- Safiu Kehinde
Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has on Wednesday challenged the Minister of Works, David Umahi, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command’s office in Abuja over the arrest and detention of a businesswoman allegedly owed N250million by the minister.
Sowore disclosed this in a shared on his X handle earlier today.
Recounting his encounter with the Minister at the FCT Police conference room in a caption attached to the video, the 2023 presidential candidate accused Umahi of using the police to intimidate and settle personal score with the woman identified as Tracynither Ohiri.
Sowore also slammed the FCT Police for creating an enabling environment for Umahi to further assault the woman who was reportedly arrested in Lagos and transferred to Abuja on claims of cyberbullying.
“Today at the FCT Command of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, I confronted the Minister of Works, David Umahi inside a conference room where police operatives had effectively set up shop for him to harass a woman who a used him of owing her and making a pass at her years ago,
“A married woman, Tracynither Nicolas Ohiri had been illegally arrested in Lagos on allegations of “cyberbullying,” flown to Abuja, and detained,” he stated.
Sowore disclosed that Ohiri’s was detained following her accusation that Umahi owed her N250 million for over 12 years.
In what he described as a purely civil matter, Sowore slammed Umahi for his engagement of the police in harassing the Ohiri.
“Her alleged offence was accusing David Umahi of owing her N250 million for over 12 years, a claim that, at its core, is a civil dispute,
“Rather than treat the matter as such, the police escalated it into a criminal spectacle.
“After unlawfully detaining her, the police facilitated a meeting in which Umahi was brought into the command to threaten, intimidate, and denigrate her inside a police facility until we arrived and they immediately dismantled the “interview” and Umahi left, angry,” Sowore said.
According to him, despite Umahi’s departure from the premises, police authorities refused to grant the woman bail or release her from custody.
“After Umahi left, they refused to grant her bail or release her, we later learnt Umahi promised that she’s not seen anything on his way out of the FCT Police ” He added,
Meanwhile, the video showed a visibly enraged Ohiri yelling at Umahi while as security personnel restrained her.
Sowore would walk up to the Minister and challenged him physically for his engagement of police in settling the issue.
“You are not supposed to be using the police to be settling personal scores.” The activist said.
Umahi initially appeared puzzled by the confrontation before denying using the police.
The Minister was ushered away from Sowore who challenged Umahi’s escort for attempting to restrain him.
Ohiri had last year called out Umahi in a social media post over his alleged refusal to pay her for the promotional items she allegedly supplied for the Minister’s 2014 Ebonyi governorship campaign.
The businesswoman alleged that Umahi deliberately withheld the payment because she rejected his sexual advances.
She had since been vocal about her demands, staging public protests and calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene until her arrest by the police.