FCT Senator Intervenes As Police Release Woman Detained Over Alleged N250m Debt Claim Against Umahi

Senator Ireti Kingibe, on Friday, intervened in the detention of Mrs. Tracy Nicolas Ohiri, who was arrested by police following her claim that Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, owed her about N250 million for rendering printing and souvenir packaging services.

Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial zone in the Senate and chairs the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, spoke to journalists at a hospital in Abuja where Ohiri was admitted after reportedly falling ill during her detention.

According to the lawmaker, Ohiri had met all bail conditions granted by a magistrate court, yet remained in custody until her intervention.

“I was told she had been granted bail, the bail had been perfected, and yet she was still not released. She was also unwell and had to be admitted in the hospital. As her senator, it is my duty to speak up when my constituents are being oppressed,” Kingibe said.

She disclosed that she escalated the matter by reaching out to senior officials, including colleagues in the National Assembly and the Senate President, leading to Ohiri’s eventual release.

“The Senate President intervened at the very top, and with the help of colleagues at all levels, she was released. Justice must be served. This is a democracy and we must be fair,” she added.

Senator Kingibe raised concerns over what she described as the abuse of police powers in civil disputes, insisting that no individual should be detained without a valid detention order.

“You cannot lawfully take someone into custody if the detention order is not valid. That is the simple question we asked, and there was no answer,” she said.

The female Senator further decried what she called a growing culture of impunity, where individuals allegedly deploy law enforcement agencies to intimidate or detain others over civil disputes.

“Injustice is injustice, regardless of who is doing it. If someone like me can feel oppressed, you can imagine how many ordinary Nigerians are suffering the same fate,” she said.

Ohiri is reportedly still receiving medical attention and may remain hospitalised for a few more days.

Recall that Ohiri said the debt claim against Umahi dates back to 2015 after she carried out promotional and printing services for his 2015 governorship campaign in Ebonyi State.

According to Ohiri, failed repeated demands for payment led her to take to social media, where she publicly accused the minister of failing to settle the debt. She claimed that shortly after, she was arrested in Lagos on allegations of cyberbullying linked to those posts.

The confrontation escalated on Wednesday at the FCT Police Command headqu, where activist Omoyele Sowore challenged the minister over alleged abuse of power in a dispute said to involve a financial claim by Ohiri.

Sowore had questioned the minister’s alleged use of law enforcement agents in what he described as a civil debt matter.