By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has broken his silence over the death of his medical aide, Mary Habila, calling for a thorough police investigation and an autopsy to determine the cause of her death while dismissing allegations linking him to the incident.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, Umahi described Habila as “like a daughter” and condemned attempts to politicise her death, insisting there was no basis for claims circulating on social media.
He said Habila had lived with his family for about three years and served as a nurse attached to both his official residence and guest house. He also refuted reports identifying her as a physiotherapist, clarifying that she was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences.
According to the minister, Habila had been battling an undisclosed health condition and was receiving treatment at the Turkish Hospital, with all her medical expenses covered by him. He disclosed that during her last hospital visit on April 5, he personally paid about ₦2.2 million for her treatment.
Giving his account of the events preceding her death, Umahi said Habila had spoken with her boyfriend shortly before the incident and complained of a nosebleed. Although she later informed him that the bleeding had stopped, the boyfriend advised her to seek immediate medical attention.
“The boyfriend called back about three minutes later, but she did not answer,” Umahi said.
He explained that after repeated attempts to reach her failed, her room was forced open and she was found dead. He added that the bathroom tap was still running after she had earlier told her boyfriend she was going to take a bath.
The minister noted that the guest house where Habila stayed was separate from his residence.
“The guest house where she stayed is nowhere near where I live. Does it mean that if someone dies in the Ministry of Works, the minister must automatically be held responsible?” he asked.
Umahi further explained that another medical staff member mentioned in online reports had worked with him since his tenure as governor before later securing federal employment, dismissing insinuations surrounding her appointment.
On the ongoing investigation, the minister said Habila’s family initially objected to an autopsy on cultural grounds. However, he said he directed his lawyers to insist on the procedure and instructed that her body should not be released until an autopsy is conducted.
He disclosed that the matter had been reported to the Inspector-General of Police and requested that the investigation be handled in Abuja.
Umahi appealed to Habila’s family to cooperate with investigators by consenting to the autopsy, describing it as the most reliable means of determining the actual cause of death.
He also directed investigators to obtain and analyse the call records between the deceased and her boyfriend, noting that their last conversation took place only minutes before she died.
The minister recalled that during an earlier official trip to Lagos, Habila experienced another episode of nosebleeding and had similarly informed her boyfriend, who advised her to seek medical attention.
Describing her death as a painful loss, Umahi said Habila was one of his most dedicated staff members and would be difficult to replace.
He urged Nigerians to refrain from spreading unverified information and allow the police investigation to run its course, assuring that all relevant medical records from the Turkish Hospital had been made available to investigators.
