Fresh developments have emerged in the investigation into the death of Mary Habila, a nurse attached to the medical team of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, as the Ebonyi State Police Command insists that a forensic autopsy is essential to determine the exact cause of her death despite opposition from her family.
The case, which has generated widespread public attention and speculation since Habila died at a guest facility within Umahi’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on June 27, has entered a new phase, with both the police and the minister calling for a scientific examination before her remains are released for burial.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi broke his silence over the incident, strongly denying allegations linking him to the death and describing the deceased as “like a daughter” whom he had known and cared for over the past three years.
According to the minister, Habila was a nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital and not a physiotherapist as widely reported in sections of the media. He explained that she had been seconded to his medical team and had remained close to his family throughout her service.
Umahi disclosed that the late nurse had a history of an undisclosed medical condition for which she had been receiving treatment at a Turkish Hospital in Abuja. He said his family had consistently paid her medical bills, adding that the latest payment of about ₦2.2 million was made on April 5 this year.
Giving his account of the events preceding her death, the minister said Habila had spoken with her boyfriend shortly before she died, informing him that she was experiencing persistent nose bleeding.
According to Umahi, the boyfriend advised her to report the condition and later ended the call after she said the bleeding had subsided. He said the boyfriend called back a few minutes later but received no response.
Umahi added that Habila had reportedly informed her boyfriend she intended to take a bath before retiring for the night. When colleagues became worried after she failed to respond the following morning, they forced open her locked room and found her lifeless, with water reportedly still running from the bathroom tap.
The minister rejected suggestions that the incident occurred inside his private residence, explaining that the deceased and another female medical worker were accommodated in a guest chalet located some distance from his personal quarters within the compound.
He described attempts to implicate him as politically motivated, insisting there was no basis to hold him responsible simply because the death occurred within premises associated with him.
“What baffles me is that everything becomes politics in this country,” Umahi said, warning against what he described as the exploitation of a young woman’s death for political purposes.
He further threatened legal action against individuals and online platforms he accused of spreading false information and engaging in cyberbullying, particularly over photographs allegedly leaked from the mortuary.
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed that it has commenced a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.
Police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, said detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) had processed the scene, obtained statements from relevant witnesses and concluded arrangements to engage a qualified forensic pathologist.
According to the police, although Habila’s family has objected to an autopsy on cultural grounds, investigators consider a post-mortem indispensable given the sensitive nature of the case.
The command said it is awaiting the presence of the deceased’s relatives or their authorised representatives before the examination can proceed, assuring Nigerians that the investigation would be conducted professionally, transparently and without bias.
Umahi has also formally petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, demanding that an autopsy be conducted before the body is released for burial.
In a letter written through his legal counsel, the minister argued that only a comprehensive forensic examination could eliminate speculation, establish the true cause of death and preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
He also disclosed that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to further enhance public confidence in the process.
The controversy surrounding Habila’s death has prompted calls from civil society groups for an independent and transparent investigation.
The Nigerian Women International Alliance (NWIA), in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, urged the Federal Government to ensure that the inquiry is credible and impartial while emphasising that no individual should be presumed guilty until investigations are concluded.
As of the time of filing this report, police authorities have not announced the cause of Mary Habila’s death, no suspect has been charged, and investigators continue to urge the public to avoid speculation until forensic and investigative processes are completed.