A Nigerian businesswoman identified as Tracy Nicolas Ohiri on Thursday publicly accused Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, of allegedly refusing to pay her for goods and services supplied to him, detaining her unlawfully, and using senior police officers to harass and intimidate her after she rejected his sexual advances.

Politics Nigeria gathered that Ohiri was brought before a Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse 6, Abuja, amid reports that the police are seeking to remand her in prison custody.

Addressing journalists after her court appearance, the visibly distressed entrepreneur alleged that the minister deployed top police officers, including Akin Fakorede and Frank Mba, to orchestrate her arrest and continued detention.

She said, “Yes, David Umahi, pay me my money. I’m not afraid of you. You can lie all you want.

“David, you must pay me my money. I supplied goods to you, directly to you.”

“One night that I slept in his house, Dave Umahi tied towel on his waist and wanted to sleep with me but I ran away.”

According to her, the goods were supplied personally to Umahi at his residence in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, before he became the works minister.

“Goods and services. Yes, goods and services. I brought it to your house in Abakaliki.

“Yes, you know me very, very well. Just because you asked to date me and I said no, you turned it upside down.

“Sir, you will give me my money. They say you’re an honourable minister. David Umahi, there is nothing honourable about you.”

Ohiri alleged that after she took to social media to demand her payment, which she claims has been outstanding for 12 years, policemen were sent to arrest her.

“And you are using police to oppress me,” she said.

“The only police officer that has been nice to me since I came to Abuja is one Maya, Iliya, and one Mr. Ali. The rest are so wicked and mean.

“The one that is my IPO always calls David and his PA to give them information. And he will be asking her different questions, if I’m weak, if I’m broken. I can never be broken.

“David, I can never be broken. You will pay me my money.”

She further alleged that in the cell where she slept, several detainees had been transferred from Ebonyi State on the minister’s instruction.

She said, “In the cell where I slept last night, there are four men from Ebonyi State. Fakorede brought them all the way from Ebonyi State and locked them up on the instruction of David Umahi.

“How long will this continue, Nigerians? This is so painful. David, continue to oppress women. What did I do to David? I’m only a woman who is working so hard legally to feed her children and her family.

“What did I do wrong by asking you and working for you without mobilisation? David, pay me my money. I want all right-thinking men and women, God-fearing men and women all over the world to stand up for justice. David is owing me, and I need my money paid with interest because 12 years is not 12 months.”

Narrating how her relationship with Umahi began, Ohiri said she first met him when he was a private businessman and later Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State.

Tracy claimed that she met Umahi years ago when he was still a public official in Ebonyi State. According to her, she was introduced to him through an engineer she identified as “Engineer Denon,” who allegedly invited her to exhibit her corporate gift business in the state.

She said, “So I came to his state on his invitation three times. So one morning, he woke me up around 5 a.m., then he was now the deputy governor, and told me that he was going to contest as a governor, that he would be needing me to produce promotional gift items that he could use for campaigning.”

She said she had initially submitted a quotation and asked about mobilisation funds but was told to proceed without upfront payment.

“He told me to please go ahead, and he didn’t have money, that he was going to Abuja, that he had been going to Abuja to meet with (then-President Goodluck) Jonathan to help him raise funds for his election, because he was having problems with his principal, that is the governor as of that time.”

Ohiri claimed she borrowed money, including her children’s school fees, to finance production of the items.

“I have to carry my children’s school fees, gather money, borrow money from even individuals, and produce these gift items,” she said.

She alleged that after production, she transported the goods to Ebonyi State at her own expense and delivered them to Umahi’s residence.

“I hired a truck with my staff, went to Ebonyi State, lodged in a different hotel. Each time we lodged in his hotel, which is obviously expensive, we paid our money. He was inviting us, but we were paying our money.

“When we lodged, the boy took us to his house and we offloaded his goods. The friends of his wife, his children, and his workers took time to offload it to his house, and he told me thank you.

“He never gave us money for fuel. The driver had to provide money to fuel that truck, and we came back. It was not an easy journey, but we made it back to Lagos.”

According to her, she waited over a year after the election before demanding payment.

“After one year and eight months, I started asking him for my payment. While I’m asking for my payment, David is asking me out. While I’m asking for my payment, David is asking me to date him,” she said.

“One day, I got so frustrated. I said, sir, can you concentrate on paying me my money? Stop telling me about dating. I have told you I cannot date you.”

She alleged that after rejecting him, he became hostile and sent her a threatening text message.

“He sent me an SMS that I insulted him. ‘I will teach you a lesson for insulting me. I will deal with you for insulting me.’ I can show that text message to the whole Nigerians.”

Ohiri claimed that thereafter, the minister blocked her number and refused to respond to her calls.

“Sometimes if I ask for my payment, he will tell me that God is busy. I said, sir, have mercy on me and give me my money. Let me pay my children’s school fees. He will tell me that God is busy.”

She further alleged that when she threatened to protest at the Government House in Ebonyi State, Umahi warned her against coming.

“He told me that if I get to his place, I will not come out alive,” she claimed.

Ohiri explained that when her father became ill and she sought financial help, Umahi told her, “Let your father die if he needs to die.”

“When my dad died, I was so angry. I came on social media and started asking Nigerians to please come to my help, calling on Mr. President to plead with David Umahi to pay me my money,” she said.

“The next thing, David Umahi sent policemen to my house. I had just dropped my children off at school. They arrested me and brought me straight to Abuja.”

She further alleged that during an interaction at a police facility, Umahi denied ever knowing her.

“David Umahi looked me in the eyes and said he had never met me. ‘I have never met this woman before. I’m only meeting her for the first time,’” she said.

“I almost died. I brought my pictures with David Umahi. I brought evidence showing me and David Umahi in his office as a deputy governor. Fakorede then said, ‘How are we sure this is real?’”

Lamenting her ordeal, Ohiri said her case highlights what she described as systemic injustice in Nigeria.

She said, “I weep for Nigeria. I’m not weeping because of my money. I weep because the common man, the ordinary citizen has no hope in this country.

“The country belongs only to Nigerian politicians and their children. The resources of this country belong only to Nigerian politicians and their children. If they are not using you, my dear, you are of no value to them. If they are not exploiting you for the wrong reasons, you simply do not matter to them.

“His son has just picked a form to become the local government chairman of his area, his own local government. This same boy was once just a child.”

She continued, “Every time I presented these facts, they were dismissed. David Umahi denied having a daughter named Paradise. Meanwhile, I had played with his daughter in his compound that very day. I asked what is your name? She replied, “Paradise.” Yet he claimed he did not know what was happening. We were there, playing together.

“And now his son is stepping forward to continue ruling Nigeria with the same iron hand his father used to rule us. So tell me, what hope does this country have for the common man?”.

As at the time of filing this report, Umahi is yet to officially react to the latest accusations.