By: Sunday Ameh
Human rights activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, confronted Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command in Abuja regarding the alleged unlawful arrest and detention of a woman involved in a ₦250 million dispute with the minister.
Sowore disclosed the incident in a video shared on his social media platforms, accusing the minister of using the police to intimidate a private citizen, which he described as an abuse of power.
According to him, the confrontation took place inside a conference room at the Nigeria Police Force FCT Command, where he alleged that police operatives facilitated an environment for the minister to engage with the detained woman.
The activist identified the woman as Tracy Nither Nicolas Ohiri, stating that she was arrested in Lagos over allegations of cyberbullying before being transferred to Abuja and detained.
Sowore claimed that Ohiri’s alleged offense stemmed from her accusation that Umahi owed her ₦250 million for more than 12 years, insisting that the matter was strictly civil in nature. “Rather than treat the matter as a civil dispute, the police escalated it into a criminal spectacle,” he alleged.
He further claimed that after her detention, police authorities facilitated a meeting during which the minister confronted the woman within the police facility.
According to Sowore, the meeting ended shortly after his arrival, adding that the minister reportedly left the premises while the woman remained in custody without bail.
The activist criticized the alleged use of law enforcement agencies to settle private disputes, stressing that civil disagreements should not be criminalized or enforced through state institutions.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Minister of Works nor the FCT Police Command had issued an official response to the allegations.
Leave a Reply