Mary Habila was like a daughter to me, had medical challenges, no evidence of foul play – Umahi

Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday broke his silence over the death of Miss Mary Habila, a staff member who died at the minister’s residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, insisting he suspects no foul play and describing attempts to link him to the incident as “politics taken too far.”

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Umahi said the deceased, whom he described as “like a daughter,” had worked closely with him for about three years and had a history of medical challenges for which he personally paid her treatment expenses.

The minister also revealed that Habila complained of a nosebleed during a phone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before she was found dead, maintaining that there was no evidence suggesting criminal activity.

Providing his first detailed account of the incident, Umahi clarified that the deceased was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, and not a physiotherapist as widely reported.

He said the deceased had been living and working with him for years and shared a close relationship with his family.

> “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.”

Umahi disclosed that Habila had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital before her death, with her medical expenses allegedly paid by him.

> “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 N2.2 million. The records are there. I paid N2.2 million.”

The minister narrated what he described as the deceased’s final moments, saying she complained of bleeding from her nose during a telephone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before communication stopped.

> “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.’

> “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.”

According to Umahi, Habila had earlier informed her boyfriend that she intended to take a bath before communication ceased.

> “Even in the morning, she told her boyfriend she was going to bathe because she had locked her door. When they discovered something was wrong, they broke down the door and discovered her dead. The tap was still running.”

The minister argued that the guest house where the deceased died was separate from his personal residence and criticised attempts to hold him personally responsible because the incident occurred in ministry facilities.

> “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.”

Umahi described Habila as one of his most dedicated staff members, saying her death had left him devastated.

> “It is very painful to me that the girl passed on. It is very difficult to replace her. She was one of my best workers.”

The minister disclosed that investigators had been unable to conduct an autopsy because the deceased’s family objected on cultural grounds.

> “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 added that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to ensure a thorough probe and facilitate discussions with the family.

Umahi also claimed the deceased had experienced similar nosebleeds during previous official trips and urged investigators to examine telephone records between her and her boyfriend.

While insisting that investigations should continue, he maintained there was no indication of 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 also accused some police officers of leaking photographs taken at the mortuary and vowed to take legal action against media organisations he alleged circulated false information and cyberbullied the deceased.

Police investigations into Habila’s death are ongoing, while an autopsy—considered crucial to determining the exact cause of death—has yet to be conducted due to the family’s objections.