ABUJA, NIGERIA — The tenure of the newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, has been hit by a wave of controversy less than 48 hours after his swearing-in. Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore launched a blistering critique of the IGP on Friday, February 27, 2026, following the dramatic collapse of businesswoman Tracy Ohiri in an Abuja courtroom.
Ohiri, who is currently embroiled in a high-stakes debt dispute with the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, was rushed to the hospital after losing consciousness during her arraignment at the Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6.
The “Fakorede” Factor
In a video shared on his verified Facebook page, Sowore accused the new IGP of allowing CP Akin Fakorede, the head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, to “obstruct justice” and sabotage the credibility of the new police leadership.
“The new IGP, who everybody thinks has sense, look at what you are doing,” Sowore stated. “You allowed Fakorede to mess up your first 48 hours in office.” Sowore alleged that Fakorede’s unit attempted to block Ohiri’s bail despite a clear court order, leading to a tense standoff between police officers and court officials.
A ₦250 Million Debt and a Towel
The roots of the case trace back to a ₦250 million debt Ohiri claims Minister Dave Umahi has owed her since his 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
- The Allegation: Ohiri asserts she supplied promotional materials using personal and borrowed funds but was never paid.
- The “Sexual Advance”: In a viral courtroom testimony, Ohiri claimed the Minister refused to pay after she rejected his sexual advances—specifically an incident where he allegedly appeared before her in a hotel room wearing only a towel.
- The “God is Busy” Retort: When she pleaded for her money years later, Ohiri alleged that Umahi dismissively told her, “God is busy.”
Arrest and Medical Emergency
Following her social media outcry, the police arrested Ohiri in Lagos on charges of cyberbullying and defamation. Sowore, who has stood as a guarantor for her, argued that the police were being used as a “private debt collection and intimidation agency” for the Minister.
The physical toll of the ordeal culminated in Ohiri’s collapse on Friday. While Chief Magistrate Ope Ibrahim eventually granted her bail set at ₦1 million, the attempted obstruction by the IGP Monitoring Unit has left a stain on Tunji Disu’s first days in office.
A Presidency Under Scrutiny
The Ohiri-Umahi scandal adds to a growing list of administrative crises for the Abuja “regency”:
- Selective Justice: Critics like Buba Galadima point to the remand of Abubakar Malami in Kuje and the life imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu as evidence of a weaponised judiciary.
- Security Collapse: While police units focus on debt disputes, Governor Bala Mohammed is warning of 10,000 bandits in Bauchi, and Lakurawa terrorists are striking mosques in Kebbi.
As Tracy Ohiri recovers in an Abuja hospital, the pressure on IGP Tunji Disu to rein in his “Monitoring Units” is mounting. For Sowore and a skeptical public, the “sense” the new IGP was credited with will be judged by whether he continues to allow the police to be “messed up” by political interests.
