Umahi: Lawyer threatens legal action against businesswoman

‎Nigerian human rights lawyer and activist, Marshal Abubakar, has dismissed as false and misleading the claims being circulated by Ms. Tracy Ohiri, insisting that his actions throughout their engagement were lawful and in good faith.

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‎In a statement on Saturday, Abubakar said he played a key role in mobilising prominent individuals, including Ireti Kingibe and activist Omoyele Sowore, alongside other concerned citizens, to ensure that Ohiri was not unlawfully detained and that her fundamental right to free speech was upheld.

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‎He noted that sustained legal and civic interventions led to her being granted bail, thereby avoiding incarceration.

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‎The lawyer further disclosed that subsequent mediation efforts uncovered significant gaps in Ohiri’s claims, particularly the lack of verifiable evidence to support any contractual relationship or service delivery involving David Umahi.

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‎According to him, despite multiple opportunities, no proof was presented to substantiate the allegations.

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‎Abubakar explained that in a bid to resolve the matter amicably, a peace arrangement was facilitated, during which a sum of $70,000 was given to Ohiri strictly as a goodwill gesture.

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‎He stressed that the payment did not constitute compensation or an admission of liability by any party, adding that the arrangement could be independently verified.

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‎He also clarified that he did not derive any personal financial benefit from the process.

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‎Expressing disappointment, Abubakar accused Ohiri of continuing to make false allegations and resorting to threats and misrepresentation despite the resolution efforts.

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‎The human rights lawyer concluded by stating that he would take appropriate legal steps to protect his reputation and integrity.

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‎The businesswoman had alleged that her earlier retraction of claims against the Minister of Works was scripted and made under pressure, insisting she was promised $70,000 that was never paid.

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‎In a fresh video circulating online, Ohiri alleged that Abubakar coerced her into recording the retraction and assured her that Umahi had agreed to compensate her before the video was made public.

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‎“Marshal, you gave me a script… you forced me to do this video. You said the person told you he was willing to pay me and compensate me for even arresting me and body-shaming me in public,” she said.

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‎She alleged that the agreement was that payment would be made before the video was released, but claimed that did not happen.

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‎You told me that I will receive my payment before you release the video. How did you release the video without me collecting my money?” she asked.

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‎Ohiri further alleged that she was isolated and intimidated during the process.

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‎“You made sure I did not speak to anybody… you kept on threatening me,” she said, calling on the Nigerian Bar Association to investigate Abubakar’s conduct, which she described as unethical.

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‎Ohiri had earlier accused Umahi of owing her about N250 million for promotional and printing services she claimed to have rendered during his 2015 governorship campaign in Ebonyi State. She also alleged sexual harassment and intimidation after she demanded payment, claims the minister has consistently denied.

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‎She was later arrested in Lagos over allegations of cyberbullying linked to her social media posts and transferred to Abuja, where she was detained at the FCT police command. She was subsequently arraigned before a magistrate court in Wuse on a defamation charge and granted bail.

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‎The matter gained public attention after activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore confronted the minister at the police headquarters, criticising what he described as the criminalisation of a civil dispute.

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‎Umahi, in his response, denied both the allegation of indebtedness and the claims of sexual harassment, describing them as baseless.

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‎“As party chairman, I owed nobody… I presided over both men and women, and nobody ever said I harassed them,” he said, adding, “What you read on social media, I’m not worried about it… it’s just to make social media alive.”

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‎Amid the controversy, Ohiri had released a video retracting her allegations and apologising to the minister and his family, saying the decision followed consultations with her family, friends and legal team. In that video, she stated that there was no formally signed agreement between her and the minister and suggested that any materials she supplied may have been used by aides without his knowledge.

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‎However, her latest claims challenge that retraction, as she now insists it was made under duress and tied to a promise of financial settlement that was not fulfilled.

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