Fresh Questions for Umahi as New Developments Intensify Mary Habila Death Investigation
Fresh developments have continued to fuel public interest in the death of 26-year-old Mary Habila, the nurse attached to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, with renewed demands for an independent investigation and a battle over whether an autopsy should be carried out.
Mary died on June 27 while on official duty at a staff chalet within Umahi’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Although the incident occurred weeks ago, the case has remained in the spotlight as conflicting positions from the family, police and other stakeholders continue to emerge.
The latest twist came after Mary’s father approached the Ebonyi State High Court to stop the police from conducting a post-mortem examination and to discontinue further investigation into his daughter’s death.
His application has sparked widespread reactions, with lawyers maintaining that suspicious or unexplained deaths cannot be treated as private family matters.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also weighed in, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct Umahi to temporarily step aside while investigations continue.
According to Atiku, “This is not a punishment; it is the minimum standard of public accountability in any serious democracy. No official under this cloud should preside over a federal ministry as though it were business as usual.”
He also asked the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to the Force Headquarters and ensure the participation of independent forensic experts.
The former vice president further demanded “a full, independent and internationally credible autopsy” whose outcome should be released to the public.
Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, equally called for a coroner’s inquest, saying the circumstances surrounding Mary’s death deserve a thorough forensic examination before burial.
Meanwhile, the burial of the deceased, which had earlier been fixed for Friday in Kaduna State, has been postponed indefinitely.
The postponement comes as police insist that investigations must continue despite the family’s request for the release of her remains.
The Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice has also raised concerns over unresolved issues surrounding the case.
Legal advice signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, J.U. Chukwu, stated that Mary was found alone in her room, lying naked on the floor with blood stains around her nose and mouth.
The ministry further noted that available evidence suggested she was not ill before her death.
According to the legal advice, “That there was no evidence that the deceased was indisposed, sick or unstable health-wise prior to her sudden death, as she was full of life at the time she returned to Uburu in company of her team.”
It added that only an autopsy could provide investigators with the answers they needed.
“The question that would readily come to mind is what exactly caused the deceased’s sudden death? This curiosity under the law can only be resolved through a post-mortem examination, so as to provide a clue to the police as to the direction of their investigation,” the legal advice stated.
Despite that recommendation, Mary’s father, Tanko Habila, has insisted that neither he nor his family would consent to an autopsy.
He said in his affidavit, “While I welcome steps being taken to unravel the cause of my daughter’s death, my family and I will not accept any autopsy.”
The affidavit disclosed that Mary was employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences before she was posted to the Federal Ministry of Works about three years ago, where she served as the minister’s personal nurse.
It also stated that she lived at the minister’s guest house in Abuja and stayed in the staff quarters in Ebonyi whenever official assignments took her there.
The father further insisted that the family wished to bury her with every part of her body intact.
He added, “I was never induced, coerced or influenced in any way by anybody to make these depositions.”
Reacting to the development, legal practitioner and rights activist Hameed Jimoh said the family cannot legally stop the police from carrying out an autopsy in a case involving an unexplained death.
According to him, “Criminal investigation in cases of alleged murder or suspicious death is the sole responsibility of the police.”
He continued, “The government has obligations under international human rights law to respect, protect and fulfil the right to life. Therefore, where the loss of life of a citizen is involved, the matter becomes one for the state.”
Jimoh added, “In my humble opinion, the family has no legal capacity to stop either the investigation or an autopsy where it is considered necessary.”
Fresh details have also emerged from Anita Baaki, Mary’s close friend and colleague, who narrated what happened in the hours before her death.
According to her affidavit, the medical team travelled from Abuja to Ebonyi on June 24 for an official assignment.
She said she last saw Mary alive on the evening of June 26 after she returned from making her hair.
According to Baaki, “Mary told me she was tired and wanted to take a shower before sleeping. That was the last time I saw her alive.”
She explained that concern grew the following morning when repeated calls to Mary’s phone were not answered.
After the room was forced open, Mary was found lying unconscious near the entrance and was immediately taken to the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that investigations will not be halted.
Police spokesperson Joshua Ukandu said detectives had visited the scene, interviewed witnesses and were arranging for a qualified pathologist to carry out the post-mortem examination.
According to the police, “The examination remains necessary given the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death.”
The command also stated that members of the deceased’s family would be invited to witness the autopsy to ensure transparency.
Responding to the controversy, Umahi maintained that he suspected no foul play.
Describing Mary as someone who was “like a daughter,” the minister said she had worked with him for about three years.
According to him, “The lady in question was like a daughter to me. She stayed with me for three years. She was a staff member of the Federal Medical University. She was a nurse and not a physiotherapist. Her family and my family are like one family.”
Umahi also disclosed that he personally paid about N2.2 million for Mary’s medical treatment in April because she had been managing an undisclosed illness.
He claimed that shortly before she died, Mary informed her boyfriend that she experienced a nosebleed which later stopped.
According to the minister, “Three minutes later, the boyfriend called back, but she was no longer responding.”
He added that colleagues later found her dead after forcing open her room, while the bathroom tap was still running.
Umahi insisted that the incident happened inside a staff guest house and not his personal residence.
He also urged investigators to obtain the phone records between Mary and her boyfriend, insisting they could provide further insight into her final moments.
The minister concluded, “I suspect no foul play because the room was locked from the inside and had to be broken open before they discovered the body. The investigation should continue, but an autopsy is necessary.”
With the police standing their ground, the family opposing an autopsy and prominent Nigerians demanding an independent investigation, the circumstances surrounding Mary Habila’s death remain unresolved, leaving many questions awaiting official answers.
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