The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has dismissed a viral video involving activist Omoyele Sowore as mere theatrics, insisting that the issue being referenced is already under active police investigation.
In a response issued on Wednesday through his media aide, Francis Nwaze, and made available to ENigeria Newspaper, Umahi said the clip showed Sowore attempting to engineer a public confrontation with him at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. The minister’s camp described the move as a calculated effort to provoke a reaction over allegations that have been circulating since last year.
The statement, as gathered by ENigeria Newspaper, explained that the accusations cited by Sowore originated from Mrs. Tracy Ohiri and relate to claims of assault and unpaid campaign materials.
According to the minister’s office, those allegations have repeatedly resurfaced across social media platforms in the form of videos and written narratives.
Umahi’s media team contended that the activist’s approach was not rooted in a genuine desire for resolution but rather aimed at generating public spectacle around a matter already before law enforcement authorities.
The statement further argued that the complainant’s versions of events have been inconsistent and contradictory. This is a position it said many observers who have tracked the case online have also pointed out.
Addressing suggestions that the minister may have influenced security agencies, the statement firmly rejected claims that he deployed the Nigeria Police Force for personal purposes. It maintained that the police acted strictly within their constitutional mandate in handling the matter.
“The Police acted on a petition submitted by the Minister’s lawyer, arrested her and invited the Honourable Minister in line with standard procedure for statements,” the statement read.
Reaffirming that the case remains under formal review, Umahi’s office urged the public to allow investigative processes to proceed without what it described as staged confrontations designed to inflame public opinion.
