
News
$70,000 peace offering sparked dispute between Tracy Ohiri, lawyer
Tracy Ohiri, a businesswoman who previously accused the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, of sexual harassment and unpaid campaign-related debt, has alleged that she was coerced into retracting her claims and promised payment that was never fulfilled.
In a new video on Friday, Ohiri claimed that a lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, pressured her to record the retraction and told her that Umahi had agreed to compensate her.
She, however, alleged that the money was not paid before the video was released, contrary to what she described as the agreement.
“Marshal, you gave me a script… you forced me to do this video,” she said.
“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… You told me that I will receive my payment before you release the video.”
Ohiri repeatedly demanded payment in the video, questioning why the footage was made public before she received any money.

“How did you release the video without me collecting my money?” Ohiri asked.
She also alleged that Abubakar threatened her and prevented her from speaking to others about the matter.
“You made sure I did not speak to anybody… you kept on threatening me,” the businesswoman said.
She called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to investigate the lawyer’s conduct, describing it as unethical.
Ohiri also posted secretly recorded phone conversations she had with the lawyer.
Recall that Ohiri had alleged that Umahi owed her about N250 million for promotional and printing services she provided during his 2015 governorship campaign in Ebonyi State.
According to her, repeated demands for payment were met with alleged advances from the minister, which she said she rejected.
She further alleged that after rejecting the advances, the situation escalated, with threats and eventual police action against her.
Ohiri was arrested in Lagos on allegations of cyberbullying linked to her social media posts about the dispute and was subsequently transferred to Abuja, where she was detained at the FCT Police Command.
She was later arraigned before a magistrate court in Wuse, Abuja, on a defamation charge and granted bail.
The case drew public attention after activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, confronted Umahi at the police headquarters, criticising what he described as the criminalisation of a civil dispute.
Umahi had denied both the allegation of indebtedness and claims of sexual harassment.
In a video response, the minister described the claims as baseless and said his record in public office should speak for him.
“As party chairman, I owed nobody… I presided over both men and women, and nobody ever said I harassed them,” he said.
The minister dismissed the controversy as social media noise.
“What you read on social media, I’m not worried about it… it’s just to make social media alive,” he added.
Amid the controversy, Ohiri released a video retracting her earlier allegations and apologising to the minister and his family.
She said her decision followed consultations with her family, friends and legal team.
In the retraction, Ohiri walked back key elements of her claims, including the allegation that Umahi made threats referencing past incidents.
On the financial dispute, she stated that there was no formally signed agreement between her and the minister, suggesting that any materials she delivered may have been used by aides without his knowledge.
However, her latest video challenges that retraction, alleging that it was scripted and made under pressure, with a promise of payment that was not fulfilled.
She also claimed to have recordings of conversations and said she would release them.
Responding to the allegations in a statement on Saturday, Abubakar denied coercing Ohiri or withholding any payment, describing her claims as false.
Abubakar said he was among those who mobilised support for Ohiri during her arrest, including engaging activists and facilitating her bail.
He said efforts were made to mediate between Ohiri and Umahi, but the minister maintained that he was not indebted to her and would only pay if a court established the existence of a contract.
“He insisted that he wasn’t owing her and wouldn’t pay unless she can establish the existence of a contract,” he said.
According to him, during the mediation process, he found no evidence to support Ohiri’s claims of a contractual agreement or delivery of services to the minister.
“There was no single real evidence of any contractual agreement… no evidence that the minister ever engaged her,” he said.
He added that Ohiri eventually agreed to retract her allegations as part of efforts to resolve the dispute.
Abubakar said a sum of $70,000 was provided by a third party, Joseph Ekumankama, not as compensation or admission of liability, but to facilitate peace.
He denied personally benefiting financially from the process and alleged that Ohiri later demanded a much higher sum.
“She promised to drag my name online unless I… pay her N300 million,” he said.
Abubakar added that he is considering legal action over the allegations made against him. (PUNCH)
News
FG reforms NYSC, replaces military leadership, redesigns uniform
President Bola Tinubu administration has approved the comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Under the new arrangement, the military will no longer head the scheme.
Instead, the agency will be led by a civilian in its operational leadership, while the military will continue to handle security for corps members across the country.
The development was announced on Monday by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Tinubu also directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Youth, Ayodele Olawande, to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to reflect all the approved reform measures, enabling immediate implementation of the new framework.
Some of the landmark reforms include:

A technology-driven call-up process.
Risk-sensitive deployment to better protect corps members.
A redesigned six-week orientation programme with a stronger focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, digital skills, and specialised career streams.
Skills-based primary assignments aligned with academic background and career pathways.
Modern governance with civilian operational leadership while the military continues to provide security support.
Improved camp standards through a national grading and certification system.
A new graduation ceremony to replace the Passing Out Parade, and a redesigned NYSC uniform that reflects professionalism and national pride.
News
Group asks court to disqualify Tinubu from 2027 Election over alleged Certificate Forgery
The Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Kano seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election over allegations of certificate forgery.
According to court documents seen by Daily Trust, the plaintiff alleged that Tinubu presented forged academic certificates from Chicago State University and a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 elections.
The suit, marked FHC/K/CS/312/2026, lists Tinubu, INEC, and Chicago State University as defendants.
The plaintiff contended that Tinubu never attended Government College Lagos as claimed, noting that the school was established in 1974, four years after Tinubu allegedly graduated.
The CSO further argued that Tinubu does not possess a valid secondary school certificate, which is the minimum constitutional requirement to contest for the presidency.
It claimed that INEC had failed to act on its petition dated June 19, 2026, demanding clarification on Tinubu’s eligibility.

In its statement of claims, the group referenced a 2023 U.S. court ruling in Re: Application of Atiku Abubakar (No. 23 CV 05099), which compelled Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records.
The plaintiff insisted those records revealed false entries and inconsistencies, including a forged University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education.
The prayers asked by the plaintiff included declaration of forgery against Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate, issuance of an order directing INEC to disqualify him from the 2027 presidential election, directing CSU to strike Tinubu’s name from its records and perpetual injunction restraining INEC from uploading Tinubu’s name as a candidate.
The plaintiff also submitted affidavits of non-multiplicity of action, witness statements, and letters to the NYSC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding disclaimers on the alleged fake NYSC certificate.
News
Firm expresses concern over repeated missing Court File in Ojukwu Property case
Ojukwu Transport Limited, OTL, has raised concerns over what it described as the repeated absence of court records in its ongoing property dispute with Bianca Ojukwu and her sons, even as it filed a motion for stay of execution pending the determination of its appeal.
Proceedings before Justice A.M. Lawal of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, last Monday were stalled for the second time in six weeks due to the unavailability of the case file.
The matter was adjourned after the file was reportedly not returned to court.
A similar situation occurred on May 8, 2026, when the case could not proceed because the file was unavailable.
OTL alleged that the file had been taken from the Ikeja Judicial Division to Lagos more than two months ago for the execution of a warrant and had not been returned.
The claimants’ legal representatives were absent from court on both occasions.

Describing the development as troubling, OTL said the repeated absence of the file had effectively stalled proceedings and raised questions about accountability in the handling of court records.
Amid the delays, the company disclosed that it had filed and served a motion for stay of execution at the Court of Appeal, seeking to halt enforcement of the judgment pending the determination of its appeal against the 2022 decision in Suit No. LD/1539/2012.
OTL maintained that the application became necessary because steps were being taken to enforce the judgment despite its pending appeal.
The company also contended that the properties in dispute had previously been the subject of a warrant of execution arising from a separate judgment delivered in 2018 by Justice Adedayo Oyebanji in Suit No. LD/794/2011.
The case was subsequently adjourned to October 8, 2026.
Present in court on both adjourned dates on behalf of Ojukwu Transport Limited was one of its directors, Dr. P. Ike Ojukwu.
Counsel to OTL are Ifeanyi Okumah Esq and Chief O. Ugolo, SAN, while Bianca Ojukwu and her sons are represented by Nick Omeye Esq and Co.
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