Minister of Works David Umahi has publicly spoken for the first time about the death of Mary Habila, the nurse who died at a government guest house in Uburu, Ebonyi State.
While expressing grief over her passing, the minister maintained that he does not believe she was a victim of foul play and urged Nigerians not to politicise the incident as police investigations continue.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Umahi described the late nurse as someone who had become part of his family after working closely with him for about three years.
According to him, reports describing Habila as a physiotherapist were inaccurate, explaining that she was a nurse attached to the Federal University of Health Sciences in Ebonyi State.
“My lawyers have spoken on my behalf. But one piece of information I want to correct is that the lady in question was like a daughter to me. She had stayed with me for three years.
She was a staff member of the Federal Medical University. She was a nurse and not a physiotherapist. And her family and my family are like one family,” he said.
Umahi recounts Mary Habila’s final hours
The minister also shared details of what he said happened shortly before Mary Habila died.
According to him, she was speaking with her boyfriend on the phone when she complained about bleeding from her nose. He said the boyfriend advised her to seek medical attention immediately, but she reportedly told him the bleeding had stopped.
Umahi said the boyfriend later ended the call after expressing concern that continuing the conversation might worsen her condition.
“She spoke to her boyfriend at the hour of her death and complained that she was bleeding from the nose. The boyfriend said, ‘No, you have to report it.’ She said it had stopped.
The boyfriend then said, ‘Listen, I will not continue this conversation since you are bleeding. It will increase the bleeding.’”
He added that Habila pleaded with him not to end the call.
“She told the boyfriend, ‘Don’t cut the call.’ The boyfriend cut the call. Three minutes later, the boyfriend called again. She was not responding.”
Umahi further explained that the nurse had earlier informed her boyfriend she intended to take a bath.
According to him, when those around her noticed something was wrong, they forced the door open and found her lifeless inside the room, while the water tap was still running.
The minister also disclosed that Habila had previously experienced similar nosebleeds, saying her boyfriend had earlier advised her to seek treatment during another episode while they were in Lagos.
He revealed that she had been receiving medical care at a Turkish hospital and that he personally paid ₦2.2 million for her most recent treatment.
“She has her medical records in Turkish Hospital, being paid by us. The last one was on the 5th of April, and it cost me ₦2.2 million. The records are there. I paid ₦2.2 million.”
Minister calls for autopsy as investigation continues
Umahi appealed to Habila’s family to allow a forensic autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, noting that cultural objections should not prevent investigators from establishing the facts.
“We have been begging the parents to allow an autopsy to happen. They said it is against their culture. But we insisted through our lawyer that an autopsy should happen. I have directed that the corpse cannot be removed until an autopsy.”
He also confirmed that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to ensure transparency.
“We have reported to the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the case to Abuja. Let them beg the family to do an autopsy. I am also begging the family to meet with the Inspector-General so that he can convince them.”
Maintaining his position that there was no indication of criminal activity, Umahi said the circumstances surrounding the incident did not suggest foul play.
“I suspect no foul play because the other lady who stayed with her was sleeping in the same bed. Her room was still locked, and the door had to be broken before they discovered the body. The tap was still running because I think she was going to bathe.”
The minister further urged investigators to examine the call records between Habila and her boyfriend to establish the sequence of events leading up to her death.
He also criticised attempts to connect him personally to the incident simply because it occurred at a Ministry of Works guest house, warning against using the tragedy for political purposes.
“People should be careful when they want to use the unfortunate death of a young girl to play politics.
If we have a hand in the killing, it will follow our families and us. But if we don’t have a hand in it and you are jumping into it, be careful. Life is spiritual.”
Also Read: Family Announces Burial Plans for Physiotherapist Mary Habila Found Dead at Umahi Residence
Describing Mary Habila as one of his most dedicated workers, Umahi said her death was deeply painful and that replacing her would be difficult.
He also condemned the circulation of photographs allegedly taken at the mortuary, saying his legal team had been instructed to take action against those spreading what he described as false and damaging information online.
Police investigations into the death of Mary Habila remain ongoing as authorities continue to seek a forensic autopsy that could determine the exact cause of her death.
