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Rights activist, Mr Omoyele Sowore, yesterday, confronted Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja over allegations involving a detained woman.
Sowore posted a video of the encounter on his X account, saying the incident occurred inside a conference hall at the police command.
The woman, Tracynither Nicolas Ohiri, had accused Umahi of owing her N250 million for over 12 years.
She is currently detained and faces charges of cyberbullying the minister.
Read Also: Obi Unharmed After ADC Secretariat Assassination Attempt
She had also alleged that he solicited sexual favours.
In the footage shared by Sowore, Ohiri was seen charging toward 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.
Sowore 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 (yesterday) 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 offense 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.
In other news, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, has criticised a gun attack at the Benin City residence of former All Progressives Congress national chairman John Odigie Oyegun, saying the incident reflects worsening insecurity and political tension.
Obi spoke in a video recorded at the scene after gunmen opened fire outside the property, leaving visible bullet marks on the gate and damaging several vehicles.
The attackers did not gain entry into the compound and no casualties were reported, but the incident drew attention because of the senior political figures present at the location.
“This is where our democracy has reached. A former governor, and you can see what happened in front of his house, where hoodlums came shooting,” Obi said while pointing to the damaged entrance.
Read also: Atiku Reacts To Assassination Attempt On Peter Obi In Edo
The attack occurred shortly after Obi, Odigie Oyegun and other political leaders attended the public declaration of lawyer Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress in Benin, the Edo State capital. Witness accounts and video footage circulating online showed multiple bullet impacts on the estate gate and nearby vehicles.
Obi said such incidents should not become normal in public life. “I assure you this cannot continue; we have a country, and we are a part of it. We cannot have terrorism and have officials in government terrorising the citizens,” he added.
Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said the attackers appeared to have followed the political delegation from the ADC secretariat to Odigie Oyegun’s residence.
He described the shooting as an attempted assassination and said the assailants targeted the gathering of political figures.
“The leadership of the ADC is under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State. Armed individuals followed us from the ADC Secretariat to the residence of Chief John Odigie Oyegun and shot at the gate, destroying several vehicles,” Tanko said.
Authorities have not released an official account of the incident or identified suspects.
Security agencies were yet to confirm whether the attack was politically motivated or connected to broader criminal activity, a distinction investigators often assess in incidents involving prominent figures.
Odigie Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State and one time national chairman of the APC, has remained influential in political discussions in the state.
The presence of multiple politicians at his residence following a party event increased concern about the potential implications of the shooting.
The episode comes amid heightened political activity in parts of southern Nigeria, where party alignments and defections are reshaping local political structures ahead of future elections.
Public events involving high profile politicians frequently attract large gatherings, and security arrangements are often reviewed after incidents involving armed attacks.
No group has claimed responsibility. Security authorities are expected to review surveillance footage and witness accounts as part of the investigation into how the gunmen approached the residence and carried out the shooting before leaving the area.
