Tinubu’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, vs. The People Who Refuse to Let Go!
Compatriots,
We are pleased to report that Tracy Nicolas Ohiri the businesswoman who was harassed, bullied, arrested, and detained following a dispute involving Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi has finally regained her freedom on bail.
Her release did not happen by chance. It was the result of collective vigilance and sustained civic resistance that began from the moment she was arrested in Lagos and subsequently transferred to Abuja by the Nigeria Police Force.
Yesterday, Mrs. Ohiri was brought before the Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja. The presiding magistrate, Ope Ibraheem, heard arguments on bail and granted her release despite opposition from the police prosecutor. The court made it clear that she was entitled to bail under the law.
However, what followed was brazen assault on due process.
After the court granted bail and the sureties, including myself, fulfilled the conditions set by the magistrate, there were immediate efforts and high level conspiracy to frustrate her release.
The police prosecutor mobilized Correctional officials, and immediate attempts were made within the system to secure a fake detention or remand order that would override the bail already granted and duely processed. The police sent a contingent of armed policemen to spirit her to prison until members of the Takeitback Movement resisted their efforts
In the midst of this, today Tracy collapsed while in custody. Rather than prioritize her health, Correctional officers resisted allowing her to receive proper medical attention. Even after she was admitted to Wuse District Hospital, they arrived with full force to move her to Keffi for profiling. It took the sustained presence and intervention of concerned citizens at the hospital to ensure that she was not forcibly removed and that her medical needs were respected.
More troubling still, we discovered indications that her detention documentation had been irregularly processed; it was forged. Such practices point to a deeply disturbing pattern within the Nigeria criminal justice chain, where administrative tools are manipulated to prolong detention and congest Nigerian prisons with largely awaiting trial inmates. I have personally experienced similar circumstances as recently as October 2025.
The good news today is that Tracy Ohiri is free not because the system worked seamlessly, but because citizens refused to look away.
We extend our gratitude to the legal team led by Marshal D F Abubakar, alongside Wayne Chikeze Seeker, Barrister Umez Prince Mandela, Chike Anago, A. K. Musa, and Tamuno Tonye-Ekundayo, whose unflinching dedication was instrumental to her release.
Let’s also acknowledge the steadfast support of her family, especially her husband, as well as civic actors and supporters who stood firm throughout, powerfully present was @FlagboyNG , Mamapee, Verydarkblackman, Rex Elanu, Comrade Oshioks Philip, @EmmanuelLarry, Faith Enattah Orinya, and @TIBmovement, as well as @AACParty leaders.
We must not fail to mention the role of medics at Wuse District Hospital who immediately provided lifesaving support as first responders.
Senator @IretiKingibe was present throughout and made high-level interventions to ensure that Tracy Ohiri could reunite with her little children and complete her medical treatment.
We reiterate our clear and non-negotiable position to the Acting Inspector-General of Police, @TunjiDisu1, that policing must not be deployed at the behest of powerful interests to harass citizens, whether under allegations of criminal defamation, provisions of the Cybercrime Act, or Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). The integrity of the @Policeng and all of its police units must depend on people’s rights, respect for the law, and real law enforcement.
The trial against Tracy Ohiri should be immediately discontinued. Nigeria deserves a police institution that protects the vulnerable, not one shielding only the powerful.
Today, Tracy Ohiri is home. And that is a victory for vigilance, solidarity, and the rule of law.
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