The Minister of Works and immediate past Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, has appealed to the public to refrain from politicising the death of Miss Mary Habila, insisting that the circumstances surrounding her demise should be established through a thorough investigation and autopsy.
Speaking on the matter on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Umahi said his lawyers had already issued an official statement but deemed it necessary to personally clarify what he described as misleading information circulating in the public domain.
According to him, the deceased was "like a daughter" to him, having lived with his family for three years.
"The lady in question was like a daughter to me. She stayed with me for three years. She was a nurse and a staff member of the Federal Medical University, not a physiotherapist," he said.
The minister explained that both families shared a close relationship and disclosed that he had been responsible for her medical care, including payment for treatment at a Turkish hospital.
"Our families are like one family. She had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital, and I paid her medical bills, including ₦2.2 million on April 5."
Recounting the events leading to her death, Umahi said the deceased had spoken with her boyfriend shortly before the incident, informing him that she was experiencing a nosebleed.
According to him, the boyfriend advised her to report the condition, but she allegedly responded that the bleeding had stopped.
"He ended the call and called back three minutes later, but she was no longer responding. Earlier, she had told him she was going to take a bath. When people became concerned, they broke down the door and found her dead, with the tap still running."
The minister stressed that the guest house where the incident occurred was located far from his residence, arguing that it was unfair to implicate him merely because the facility belonged to the Ministry of Works.
"People should stop using the unfortunate death of a young girl to play politics. If we had a hand in her death, it would follow us and our families, but if we did not, those making false accusations should be careful. Her death is very painful to me because she was one of my best workers."
Umahi further disclosed that he had consistently urged the deceased's family to consent to an autopsy, describing the procedure as essential to determining the actual cause of death.
"We have been begging the family to allow an autopsy, but they said it is against their culture. Through our lawyers, we insisted that an autopsy must be carried out, and I have directed that the body should not be released until it is done."
He added that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja and engage with the family to secure their consent for the autopsy.
The minister also revealed that the deceased had a history of recurrent nosebleeds and said her boyfriend had confirmed that she contacted him about another episode while he was in Lagos.
"The deceased had previously experienced nosebleeds. Her boyfriend told us that while we were in Lagos, she called him to report another episode, and he advised her to inform me or seek treatment at a nearby hospital, but she did not want to disturb me."
Umahi said he had asked investigators to retrieve the call records between the deceased and her boyfriend so that their final conversation could be examined as part of the investigation.
While emphasising that only the police investigation could establish the true circumstances surrounding the death, he said the available information did not immediately suggest foul play.
"At this stage, I suspect no foul play because another lady was in the room, the door was locked from the inside and had to be broken open, and the tap was still running, suggesting she was about to take a bath."
He also condemned the circulation of photographs allegedly taken at the mortuary, saying they had been used to spread false narratives capable of misleading the public.
"The photographs circulating online were taken at the mortuary by the police before her body was prepared, and they have been used to spread damaging misinformation."
The minister announced that he had directed his legal team to institute legal proceedings against individuals involved in what he described as cyberbullying and the dissemination of false information.
"I have instructed my lawyers to take legal action against those responsible for cyberbullying and spreading false information, and we intend to test the law on the matter."
Umahi maintained that only a comprehensive police investigation and a professionally conducted autopsy would provide definitive answers regarding the circumstances surrounding Mary Habila's death, urging all parties to allow due process to take its course.
