The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday broke his silence over the death of Miss Mary Habila, a staff member who died at his residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, insisting that he suspected no foul play and describing attempts to link him to the incident as “politics taken too far.”
Umahi spoke at a press conference in Abuja while updating the public on newly approved projects by President Bola Tinubu.
The minister described the deceased as “like a daughter,” revealing that she had lived and worked with him for about three years and had a history of medical challenges for which he personally paid her treatment bills.
He clarified that Habila was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, and not a physiotherapist as earlier reported.
Umahi disclosed that the deceased had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital, adding that he personally paid N2.2 million for her last medical treatment on April 5.
The minister further revealed that Habila complained of bleeding from her nose during a telephone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before she was found dead.
According to him, the deceased’s boyfriend advised her to report the condition after she informed him that she was bleeding from the nose. Although she later told him the bleeding had stopped, he ended the call, saying he did not want the conversation to worsen her condition.
Umahi said the boyfriend called back about three minutes later but received no response.
He added that Habila had earlier informed her boyfriend that she was about to take her bath. When people became concerned about her silence, they forced open her locked room and found her dead, with the water tap still running.
The minister explained that the guest house where the incident occurred was located far from his personal residence, stressing that it was unfair to hold him responsible simply because the death occurred in a facility linked to the Ministry of Works.
Umahi condemned what he described as attempts to politicise the incident, warning against using the death of the young woman for political purposes.
He described the deceased as one of his most dedicated staff members and said her death had left him devastated.
The minister also appealed to the deceased’s family to allow an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, disclosing that he had directed that her body should not be released for burial until the procedure was conducted.
According to Umahi, the family had objected to an autopsy on cultural grounds, but he insisted that the examination was necessary to establish the cause of death.
He further disclosed 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 deceased’s family.
Umahi also claimed that Habila had experienced similar episodes of nosebleeding during previous official trips and urged investigators to retrieve the telephone records between the deceased and her boyfriend as part of the investigation.
(PUNCH)
