Mary Habila Died In Guest House Far From My Apartment, Don’t Hold Me Accountable — Umahi

Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday defended himself against allegations surrounding the death of Miss Mary Habila, a staff member who died at his guest house in Uburu, Ebonyi State, insisting that the facility was located far from his personal residence and that there was no evidence linking him to the incident.

Breaking his silence for the first time since the incident sparked public outrage, Umahi who spoke at a press conference in Abuja, described attempts to associate him with the young woman's death as "politics taken too far," while maintaining that he suspected no foul play.

The minister said Habila, whom he described as "like a daughter," had lived and worked with him for about three years and was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, contrary to reports identifying her as a physiotherapist.

"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 said.

He disclosed that Habila had a history of medical challenges and had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital, with the latest medical bill of N2.2 million 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," he stated.

Umahi also gave what he described as an account of the nurse's final moments, saying she had spoken with her boyfriend shortly before her death and complained of bleeding from her nose.

According to him, "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."

The minister added that Habila had earlier informed her boyfriend she intended to take a bath.

"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," he said.

Rejecting suggestions that he should be held responsible because the death occurred in a government facility linked to the Ministry of Works, Umahi stressed that the guest house was separate from his private residence.

"What baffles me in this country is that everything becomes an opportunity. There is a guest house where she and other medical personnel stayed, and that is very far from where I stay. Does it mean that because somebody dies in the Ministry of Works, the minister must be accountable for that?" he asked.

He accused some individuals of exploiting the tragedy for political purposes, saying, "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."

Describing the deceased as one of his most dedicated workers, Umahi said 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," he said.

The minister appealed to Habila's family to permit an autopsy, saying it remained the only way to establish the exact cause of death.

"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 said.

Umahi disclosed that he had asked the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to facilitate discussions with the family and ensure a thorough probe.

"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," he said.

He also urged investigators to obtain the telephone records of the deceased and her boyfriend, insisting the conversations would shed more light on the events preceding her death.

"I have asked the police to go to the call logs. They should go to the call log of the boy and the call log of the girl, and they will hear the last conversation the girl had with the boyfriend at the hour of her death," he said.

Maintaining that he had seen no indication of criminal activity, the minister said, "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."

Umahi further criticised the circulation of photographs allegedly taken at the mortuary, accusing some police officers of leaking misleading images capable of fuelling public suspicion.

He added that he had instructed his lawyers to commence legal action against individuals and media organisations he accused of spreading false information and cyberbullying the deceased.

The death of Habila has continued to generate public attention, with several groups demanding an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding her demise at the government guest house. Police investigations are ongoing, while an autopsy considered crucial to determining the cause of death is yet to be conducted following the family's reported cultural objections.