Tension erupted on Thursday at the Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, as armed police officers reportedly attempted to rearrest a Nigerian businesswoman, Tracyniter Nicholas Ohiri, shortly after she was granted bail.
Ohiri, who was earlier detained following allegations of defamation against the Minister of Works, David Umahi, was arraigned before Magistrate Ibraheem Ope.
The court granted her bail in the sum of N1million with two sureties in like sum.
Despite the fulfillment of her bail conditions by her defence team, led by Abubakar Marshal, heavily armed policemen from the FCT Command surrounded the court premises with a Hilux vehicle in an apparent bid to rearrest her.
SaharaReporters gathered that the Head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Akin Fakorede, had obtained another detention warrant to facilitate her transfer to the Keffi Correctional Centre.
Activists and supporters gathered at the court in solidarity with Ohiri, insisting that she should be allowed to regain her freedom in line with the court’s pronouncement.
They described the attempted rearrest as a violation of her rights and vowed to resist any move to undermine the bail granted by the court.
Fiery human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, who was one of the sureties disclosed that he had reached out to the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, on the matter urging him to caution his officers involved in the development.
The standoff between police officers, activists, and other Nigerians who thronged the court premises is ongoing.
Although no violence had been reported, tensions remained high as supporters insisted they would not leave the premises without Ohiri being allowed to leave in accordance with the bail order.
