Tracynither Nicolas Ohiri, a businesswoman who claimed that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, owes her ₦250 million from his 2014 governorship campaign, has released videos, chats, and statements detailing her allegations.
Ohiri alleged that the debt stemmed from promotional items she supplied.
The said promotional items, which include exercise books and table clocks bearing the pictures of the minister, were seen in the released clips.
Ohiri claimed that Umahi, when she requested payment, made unwanted sexual advances and later blocked her on the phone.
One widely shared video features her recounting a conversation where Umahi allegedly told her “God is busy” when she begged for her money.
Ohiri was arrested in Lagos on allegations of cyberbullying and flown to Abuja for detention at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
She was reportedly arraigned for defamation at the Wuse Magistrate Court and granted bail.
Activist Omoyele Sowore intervened, filming a confrontation with the Minister at the Force Headquarters in Abuja and eventually securing her bail.
Sowore posted a video of the encounter on his X account, saying the incident occurred inside a conference hall at the Force Headquarters.
In the footage he shared, Ohiri was seen charging towards the minister before being restrained by people in the room.
Umahi attempted to leave the venue, but Sowore called out: “Minister,” prompting him to turn back and shake hands with the activist.
He told him he should not use policemen to settle personal scores.
The minister’s aides then intervened and escorted him out.
In his post, Sowore wrote: “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 accused 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.
“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.
“After Umahi left, they refused to grant her bail or release her.
“We later learnt Umahi promised that she had not seen anything on his way out of the FCT police command.”
Reacting in a statement signed by his media aide, Francis Nwaze, the Minister strongly denied the claims, describing them as “inconsistent and lacking coherence”.
He questioned the validity of the debt, noting the figure has changed in her various claims from ₦20 million to over ₦300 million, and challenged her to produce a formal contract.
On Ohiri’s arrest and detention, Umahi maintained that the police acted on a legal petition from his lawyer regarding cyberbullying rather than his personal orders.
The statement further noted that Umahi was invited by the police for questioning after the petition, and that the matter remains under investigation. [Eagle Online]
