Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has given details of his confrontation with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, at the Federal Capital Territory Police Command in Abuja over an alleged N250 million debt dispute.
Sowore’s account followed the circulation of a viral video showing the heated exchange at the police command. In a statement issued afterward, he alleged that he encountered Umahi inside a conference room at the command, where police officers had allegedly provided an avenue for the minister to confront a woman accusing him of owing her a substantial sum of money and making inappropriate advances toward her several years ago.
According to Sowore, the woman, identified as Tracy Nither Nicolas Ohiri, is married and had earlier been arrested in Lagos on allegations of cyberbullying. He claimed she was subsequently flown to Abuja and detained at the FCT Police Command.
Sowore argued that the woman’s allegation that Umahi has owed her N250 million for more than 12 years amounts to a civil dispute and should not have been treated as a criminal matter. He maintained that issues bordering on debt recovery fall within the jurisdiction of civil courts and not law enforcement agencies.
The activist further accused the Nigeria Police Force of escalating the situation by allegedly detaining the woman and then facilitating a meeting that allowed the minister to confront her within the police facility. He described the encounter as intimidating and inappropriate, insisting that police premises should not be used to settle personal or civil disputes involving powerful political figures.
Sowore said the incident raises serious concerns about abuse of power and the misuse of state institutions to intimidate citizens. He called on the police authorities to respect due process and ensure that civil disputes are not criminalised, warning that such practices undermine public trust in the justice system.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Minister of Works nor the police authorities had issued an official response to the allegations raised by Sowore.
