Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed that Tracynither Nicholas Ohiri has been remanded at Keffi Correctional Centre in compliance with Case No. CR/12/2026, by Magistrate Court 7.

In a statement, the court ordered that the defendant be detained pending the perfection of her bail conditions.

In line with the valid remand order and commitment warrant duly issued by the court, officers of NCoS took steps to convey the defendant to custody in Keffi, as required by law and specified in the warrant.

However, the NCoS officers were frustrated by certain disgruntled individuals including persons identifying themselves as civil society actors, who obstructed the officers from carrying out their lawful duty of conveying the defendant to the Keffi Correctional Centre.

According to NCoS, despite repeated explanations and appeals for understanding, the group insisted that the defendant would not be moved, thus preventing the movement of the defendant to the said correctional centre the same day.

” The defendant was later taken to a nearby police station for safe and protective custody for the night.

In the morning of the following day, being February 27, 2026, when NCoS officers resumed efforts to move the defendant from the police station to the custodial centre in compliance with the subsisting court order, the same obstruction recurred by the same group. During this process, Ohiri, purporting to have taken ill, was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention” the agency said, adding that it was at the hospital that the situation escalated significantly, as the crowd, invited by these actors, increased in number and intensified their efforts to prevent the lawful movement of the defendant.

“Very senior officers, including a group of doctors from the service who were dispatched from the service headquarters to douse the situation were subjected to verbal abuse, harassment, and open ridicule while attempting to discharge their statutory responsibilities. This, the management said, is an obvious act of disobedience to lawful order and obstruction of justice.

“The service has also noted reports in circulation alleging that the detention documentation was irregularly processed, forged and manipulated. These allegations are entirely false, misleading, unfounded and aimed at distracting attention from the obvious act of disobedience to lawful order and the incitement of the public. The ‘Warrant of Commitment to Prison on Remand’ and the ‘Order to Reproduce Prisoner’ were duly issued and signed by the same court and magistrate; a court of competent jurisdiction, and processed in accordance with established legal and administrative procedures. At no time was any document forged, altered, or manipulated. The service operates strictly within the confines of lawful court directives and maintains verifiable custody records subject to institutional oversight” the agency, said.

Recall that Ohiri accused the Minister of Works, Engineer David Umahi of owing her over N300 million, a case that escalated to a court case. (The Sun)

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