UMAHI THREAT TO ME & HIS THIRST FOR MY APOLOGY
Being text of a press briefing and petition addressed by Segun O’Law, Media CEO Of Objectv Media (YouTube, X, IG, Facebook, TikTok) Today 12th March, 2026 At The International Press Center (IPC), Ogba, Lagos.
Dear World,
The unbridled use of threats by powers that be, to brazenly suppress free press in their bid to cover truths, especially in countries of particular concerns, has raised its monster head again. In spotlight now is the man who notoriously prides himself by the dreadful cognomen ‘I am a dangerous man’ in President Tinubu’s cabinet. He is no other than the current Minister of Works, same who made the recent public self-conferment as ‘Professor in practice’ of Engineering during a live interview on national TV, Engr. David Nweze Umahi. For short, Dave Umahi!
On the morning of Sunday 8th March, 2026, I received a WhatsApp message from a number that was not saved in my contacts. The person later introduce himself as the HMW (Honorable Minister of Works) after I asked the sender to identify himself. His message started link to a TikTok video, which he asked me to go and watch.
The video featured a content creator referencing another lawyer who claimed that the first person to have gone to jail in Nigeria in this year 2026 was someone who shared a private conversation with a 3rd party. The creator warned the viewers against sharing private conversations without consent.
Immediately after sending the link, the sender wrote the followed:
“U came to my office and secretly videoed our conversations and shared. U have no right to do that with all the respect I gave to u. I thought that by now, u would have repented and publicly apologize to me. U have not done that. I still give u opportunities to do so on my terms but if u don’t, then”.
I responded politely;
“Good morning and happy Sunday!”
“I don’t have this number but if this is the Minister, Engr. Dave Umahi, I since asked for your number from Engr. Dare in Lagos but I understand he pleaded that it was sensitive for him to release your number to me. I’m open to conversation when you’re available sir.”
He replied; “This is HMW and I will not do any conversation with you other than my request above”
To be certain, I conducted verification of the number and confirmed that it indeed belonged to the Minister David Nweze Umahi.
Given the Minister’s history of controversial actions and seriousness of the message, I consider it necessary to put this out in the public for reasons of public knowledge and personal safety.
I perceive that message as a threat to make me bend, cow, withdraw, and denounce the video, in a bid to water down or cover the truth that is being exposed by the discreet video of him confessing to have corruptly used his office to achieve personal vendetta against the CEO of WinHomes, Mrs. Stella Ukengu for being vocal and to have challenged him over the controversial realignment of the coastal road, which partly affected her estate site and her trenchant rejection of the poor valuation of the portion taken for coastal road construction.
Background Of The Event
In August of August, 2025, protesters gathered at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja to protest the controversial realignment of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road at the Lagos section, which displaced many legally settled communities and developments along the corridor. Highlighted mainly among those affected at the protest was WinHomes Estate, whose CEO has publicly challenged the Minister’s justification of the realignment as a flippant and capricious, as against claims that the realignment was due to MTN or other marine cables along pathway of the original alignment. The protesters demanded due and proper compensation for those affected. During the course of the protest, some police and security officers protecting the ministry complex had confronted the demonstrators and tensions escalated. Based on my experience as journalist who had covered protests that degenerated to violence in the past, where journalists’ equipment were seized or destroyed irreparably with footages lost to the acts, I immediately activated my discreet recording gadget so as to preserve evidence in case the situation deteriorated.
Eventually the protesters were asked to nominate representatives to meet the Minister in his office. Three of us were selected; Comrade Shina Loremikan for the Civil Society, Barrister Ahmad for WinHomes and myself as a journalist to observe the engagement.
During the meeting, the Minister’s first utterances was to brag; ‘I’m a dangerous man’. He then went on to expose that he had personally ensured that the affected land belonging to the WinHomes CEO would not be restored, and that even the remaining would be acquired for other overriding public infrastructure. He said infarct, that he has decided that the remaining land is where he’s going to put toll gate.
The delegates appealed to him to reconsider. After further discussion, the Minister suggested should bring some of her diaspora investors so that he’d take them to meet the President to consider releasing the remaining land to them. He welcomed the delegates and the meeting ended on what appeared to be a positive note.
When the woman had this feedback, she made a video thanking the Minister and the President for the willingness to consider a resolution.
But suddenly, few days after it, the Minister invited the media to the WinHomes portion of the coastal road at Okun Ajah, it was a sudden turn from what he had said at that protest meeting. He told the Media that the woman had lied about everything in the site. After his speech, he fielded questions from journalists, and because I was there, I asked him why the sudden change of position after he promised the protest delegates at his office in Abuja that they would go together to resolve things with the president, he condescendingly said the protesters were hired and dismissed the conclusions he reached with the delegates with promise to facilitate meeting with the President. He went further to threaten that the woman should be arrested and handed to EFCC and other agencies.
I was taken aback. The woman had contacted me to check if the delegates had misrepresented what the Minister said at the meeting. Although there might have been some discrepancies in how other delegates gave their feedback, but I was so sure I heard everything the Minister said clearly. Then I remembered that the discreet recorder on the protest day was on till after the meeting. I quickly reached for it to see if the entire meeting was indeed captured and fetched the footages from there to enable her listen to it by herself. At least I wouldn’t appear as the liar nor the delegates who were in the meeting with the Minister.
Many days later, the woman started sharing parts of the video to vindicate her position that the Minister was on a personal mission to frustrate her. I have personally not shared any single part of the video on my page because it wasn’t my intention to use it to malign or embarrass the Minister or anyone.
Why I Am Speaking Out
As a journalist, my responsibility is to document facts and expose the truth, particularly when public officials contradict themselves.
While it was never my intention to embarrass the Minister or publish the recordings, however, given the threatening message I have received from him, combined with other disturbing reports, it necessary to disclose these events publicly.
Reports from the Minister’s time as Governor of Ebonyi State, including the alleged disappearance of engineers who disagreed with him and how a woman was seized from Lagos and ported to Abuja in oppressive style for challenging the Minister among other curious tales have raised legitimate concerns.
I have also received intelligence advising me immediately break my SIM and change my device because my lines and device were likely being tracked through my phone’s IMEI.
Days after I took the steps as suggested and I suppose the tracking chain had likely broken, the Minister’s direct message containing the threat then came. The message threatens jail if no apology is offered on his terms for passing evidence of his confession to the woman.
I remember the Minister boasting about himself as ‘a dangerous man’, although I had thought at first that he was just being sarcastic, but I later confirmed the same day before we left the meeting that Umahi is not the one to joke with.
I remember vividly as one of the demands at that protest and the meeting was for release of a certain young man who was working at the site of WinHomes. His name we were told is Obanla. Obanla had disappeared mysteriously from site of WinHomes while the controversial realignment was being challenged. The Minster had reportedly said nobody should be seen working on sites along the corridor without his express permission. It was hinted then that Obanla was taken by soldiers on order of the Minister and he had not been seen since then. But the delegates pleaded with the Minister at that meeting for release of the missing boy, the Minister leaned over and whispered to the Perm Sec. He told the Perm Sec to call Mrs. Korede-Keisha, the then Controller of Works in Lagos to check for the boy Obanla in any of the facilities people were being locked. To my surprise the next day, I got a call that Obanla was now released after the Minister gave order at that meeting just the previous day, but that he was looking too emaciated that the contact would not allow me see to him. The contact said Obanla was too traumatized to be presented to public in the condition he found him. He preferred to quietly treat him and re-unite him with his family.
What Next?
Rising from this press conference, I shall now upload the other parts, especially where the Minister made the promise to take the Diaspora investors to meet the President and to resolve the matter as against when he denied it in a sudden twist while conducting journalists around the site days later after the protest meeting which took place at his office. It is the least I can do as a journalist to help bring the truth and sanity whenever there’s a confusion or contradiction and I am privileged to be in possession of useful information or evidence that can help clear doubts or confusions.
Security Notice
I call for public protections by all well meaning Nigerians and international communities. Please always check up on me from this moment yeah though I walk through the valley of uncertainties.
Please monitor my official media pages:
Objectv Media – Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
If I stop posting for more than 48 hours without explanation, and there is no nationwide network disruption, I urge the public to immediately raise concerns and investigate my safety.
I remain unbowed and committed to truth and justice.
FINAL STATEMENT
As of today 12 March 2026, I am in good health.
I have no suicidal thoughts.
I am in good standing with my family and colleagues.
I have no business disputes or debts with anyone that would justify dreadful hunt or harm against me.
Therefore, if anything happens to me, please look no further, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, the Minister of Works, who has declared himself ‘a dangerous man’ should be held responsible.
I remain committed to truth, justice, and the protection of press freedom.
Segun O’Law
Media Director
Objectv Media
CC:
U.S. Embassy – Abuja & Lagos
British High Commission – Abuja & Lagos
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ)
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) – Lagos, Nigeria
Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) – Abuja, Nigeria
International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) – Nigeria
Amnesty International (AI) – Nigeria
Committee to Protect Journalists – Africa
