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Lawyer Marshal Abubakar Accuses Businesswoman Ohiri Of Spreading Falsehood

ByOnline Editor

PublishedMarch 20, 2026

Reveals How $70,000 ‘Peace Deal’ Was Sealed With Minister Umahi

Nigerian human rights lawyer and activist, Marshal Abubakar, has accused Ms. Tracy Ohiri of spreading falsehood about events surrounding her dispute with Minister of Works, David Umahi, insisting that he and other activists were instrumental in preventing her from being jailed.

In a statement on Thursday, Abubakar said he mobilised prominent activists and public figures to defend Ohiri when she faced legal trouble, stressing that the goal of the intervention was to ensure that the Nigerian state did not deploy its power to suppress free speech.

Abubakar stated that he rallied several individuals, including Senator Ireti Kingibe, activist Martins Otse, VeryDarkMan, and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore. Others were campaigners such as FlagboyNg and Comrade Larry, to support Ohiri.

According to him, their intervention ultimately ensured she avoided imprisonment.

“My attention has been drawn to the falsehood being spewed by Ms Tracy Ohiri,” Abubakar said.

“Indeed, the fact that you helped a viper out of a ditch doesn’t stop the snake from biting you. It’s an undeniable fact that I was the person that rallied public-spirited individuals like Distinguished Senator Ireti Kingibe, VeryDarkMan, Comrade Omoyele Sowore, FlagboyNg, Comrade Larry and several other comrades to her aid.”

He explained that the activists’ focus was to ensure that free speech was protected.

“Our focus was that on no account should state apparatus be deployed to gag free speech. It was on account of our continuous activism that Ms Ohiri is not in prison today,” he said.

Abubakar further noted that he led other activist lawyers to apply for Ohiri’s bail in court.

“I led other activist lawyers to move her bail orally and even while bail was granted, there was a long standoff and a lucid ploy to send her to prison at all cost. We eventually succeeded and helped her escape prison.”

The lawyer revealed that Senator Kingibe attempted to mediate between Ohiri and Umahi in a bid to resolve the dispute amicably.

According to him, the senator later informed him that Umahi maintained that he was not indebted to Ohiri and would not pay her unless she could prove the existence of a contract.

“Distinguished Senator Ireti Kingibe tried to broker peace and mediate but she informed me that Mr Umahi insisted that he wasn’t owing her and wouldn’t pay unless she can establish the existence of a contract between them,” Abubakar said.

He said he later spoke directly with Umahi using the senator’s phone.

“I spoke to Senator Umahi with Mummy Ireti’s phone and he was adamant. He promised he would exhaust the full judicial process to clear his name and promised to pay her in ten folds if the court ruled that he owes her, but unless that, she would face the full wrath of the law.”

Abubakar said he subsequently discussed the situation with Ohiri and presented her with two options: continue the legal fight or explore settlement.

“When I spoke with her, I explained the entire situation to her and explained that she has two options; she either fights on or explores settlement. If she elects to fight on, we would fight with her but she must provide necessary evidence on core issues.”

He said his review of the matter revealed serious gaps in the claims made against the minister.

“I discovered that there was no single real evidence of any contractual agreement between her and the minister, that there was no evidence that the minister ever engaged her to do any contract and that there was no evidence that the minister ever informed her that what happened to the NELAN Engineers would happen to her,” Abubakar stated.

He added that Ohiri could not provide proof that she delivered goods to the minister’s residence as she had alleged.

Abubakar said the dispute escalated as Umahi had already filed several legal cases against Ohiri in Ebonyi State.

According to him, Ohiri later indicated that she did not want to travel to Ebonyi to face the cases and expressed willingness to pursue peace.

A follow-up meeting was then held involving the minister’s lawyer, identified as Mr Abdul SAN, the minister’s associate Barrister Joseph Ekumankama, Senator Kingibe, Ohiri, her husband and Abubakar.

“We had a follow-up meeting with the minister’s lawyer, Mr Abdul SAN, the minister’s friend Barrister Joseph Ekumankama, Senator Ireti, Ms Tracy, her husband and I, Marshal Abubakar, in attendance,” he said.

However, Abubakar said the meeting collapsed after tensions flared.

“The meeting ended in a stalemate. Ms Ohiri has a terrible temper and manner; she threw tantrums and insults at everyone in that meeting, thus it ended on a sour note. We all left.”

He claimed that Ohiri later called him to apologise and pleaded for help after realising the implications of the failed meeting.

“When the reality of what she had done dawned on her, she called and started begging. I told her clearly she had chosen war and advised that she gets the evidence to prove her allegations.”

Abubakar alleged that after further discussions, Ohiri eventually agreed to retract her allegations provided the legal actions against her were withdrawn.

He said the minister maintained that he would not pay any money unless she could prove prior communication between them before 2023.

According to Abubakar, Barrister Joseph Ekumankama eventually offered to provide financial assistance to resolve the matter.

“It was Barrister Joseph that gave me a total sum of $70,000 to give to her,” Abubakar said.

“He informed me that it’s not compensation for any contract neither was it admission that they were owing her but just for the sake of peace and my mediating approach to the issue.”

He added that Ekumankama could verify the account.

“Barrister Joseph Ekumankama is still alive and can be contacted for verification,” he said.

Abubakar also insisted that he personally rejected any financial benefit throughout the process.

“In all of this, I never sought for any pecuniary gains for myself. Barrister Joseph and Senator Umahi can confirm that even when money for kolanut and fuel (in dollars) were offered, I politely turned it down, insisting that helping her find peace was my ultimate concern.”

Abubakar accused Ohiri of later turning against those who had defended her.

“Sadly, Ms Ohiri has fought every of my comrades and persons that stood in her defense. She throws tantrums, lies spontaneously and quickly turns friends and allies to foes.”

He claimed that Ohiri became angry when he could not secure ₦300 million for her.

“Her anger is that I could not get ₦300,000,000 for her. I explained to her that her initial claim was for ₦25 million. ₦100million is far above that and even a court of law would most likely not award her that much, even if she could establish her claim.”

According to him, Ohiri later threatened to launch an online campaign against him unless he paid her ₦300million.

“She promised to drag my name online unless I meet them to pay her ₦300,000,000 and that she had lost business thus I must be held responsible and must provide her money,” he alleged.

Expressing disappointment, Abubakar said the situation had become a painful lesson.

“It’s so sad that a woman we put in our best defending, at the expense of our lives and liberty, could turn out to be this. We befriended a scorpion and got a life lesson.”

He concluded by warning that he may pursue legal action against Ohiri.

“I will surely appraise the situation and take the appropriate legal actions against Ms Ohiri,” he said.