Rights activist Omoyele Sowore and Minister of Works David Umahi were involved in a tense exchange at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, following allegations by a detained woman who claims the minister owes her ₦250 million.
Sowore shared a video of the encounter on X, saying it took place inside a police conference hall. In the footage, the woman, TracyNither Nicolas Ohiri, moves towards Umahi before being restrained. The minister attempts to leave but briefly turns back after Sowore calls out to him. Aides then escort Umahi out.
Ohiri, who is in police custody, alleges Umahi failed to pay her for campaign materials supplied more than a decade ago and accused him of soliciting sexual favours. She has been charged with cyberbullying. Sowore said the matter was a civil dispute that should not have been escalated into a criminal case, accusing the minister of using the police to settle a personal score.
“Rather than treat the issue as civil, the police turned it into a criminal spectacle,” Sowore wrote, adding that Ohiri was arrested in Lagos, flown to Abuja and detained.
Umahi has denied the claims. In a statement issued by his media aide, Francis Nwaze, the minister said he did not deploy police against Ohiri and described her allegations as inconsistent and contradictory. He said the police acted on a petition submitted by his lawyer and invited him in line with standard procedure.
The statement accused Sowore of staging a public spectacle and said the minister disengaged to respect due process. “The matter is under police investigation, where facts will determine the outcome,” it added.
The video has drawn mixed reactions online, with supporters of both men offering competing accounts. While Sowore insists the case reflects abuse of power, Umahi maintains that the police acted within their constitutional mandate.
The police have yet to issue a detailed public account of the incident, but investigations into the allegations remain ongoing.
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