Nigeria's Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has refuted allegations that he was responsible for the death of nurse Mary Habila, who died at his Uburu residence in Ebonyi State. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi addressed the rumors and provided his account of the events surrounding her death.
Umahi Denies Involvement in Nurse's Death
Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, described the insinuations as false. He emphasized that he was not sharing the same apartment with Habila and her colleague at the time of her death. "There is a guest house where she and the second medical person stayed, and that is very far from where I stayed," he stated. "But, strangely, an unfortunate thing happened, and speculation is being made that we killed a woman who was giving me an injection, administering drugs to us, and even lived in my residence in Asokoro."
Background of the Incident
Habila, a 26-year-old nurse attached to Umahi, was brought in dead to the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital in Uburu on June 27. Premium Times reported the incident, which sparked calls for investigation from civil society organizations and the public. Some individuals insinuated that Habila might have been killed, prompting Umahi to address the allegations.
Umahi's Account of the Events
Umahi clarified that Habila was a nurse, not a physiotherapist as previously reported. He stressed that she was like a daughter to him and that her death was a personal loss. He questioned those spreading false narratives, asking, "Is it that they are saying that somebody cannot die? Have they checked the medical records of the lady?" He suggested that she might have died of natural causes.
Umahi narrated that Habila's boyfriend had revealed that she complained of being sick hours before her death. "She spoke to her boyfriend at the hour of her death, complaining that she was bleeding from the nose, and the boyfriend said, 'No, you have to report to your boss.' She said it has stopped," Umahi recounted. The boyfriend cut the call, but when he called back three minutes later, Habila did not respond. The next morning, when she did not respond, her door was broken down, and the tap was still running. Umahi has asked the police to check the call logs to verify this account.
Autopsy Stalemate
Umahi reiterated that an autopsy is necessary to determine the actual cause of death. "We have insisted through our lawyer that the autopsy should happen, and we are begging the parents to allow the autopsy to happen, and they say no because it's against their culture. So we have a stalemate," he said. He added that the corpse cannot be removed until the autopsy is conducted. The minister also stated that the family would meet with the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to resolve the issue. "The matter is ongoing; we've reported to the IGP to transfer the case to Abuja and let them beg the family to do an autopsy. I'm begging the family to meet with IGP, so that maybe IGP can convince them," he said.
