Death At Umahi’s Home: Calls For Investigation Mount

More questions and growing calls for a comprehensive and independent investigation have continued to trail the death of 26-year-old Mary Habila at the Ebonyi residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

Habila, who her father described as the minister’s personal nurse, reportedly died on June 27, and her body was found inside a room in one of the buildings within the minister’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Her death, however, did not come to public attention until July 11, nearly two weeks later, when Sahara Reporters first reported the incident.

Although Umahi has denied any wrongdoing or foul play and, through his lawyers, called for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death, the deceased’s father has approached the Ebonyi State High Court seeking to stop the police from carrying out an autopsy and discontinue further investigation into the case.

The family’s position has sparked fresh controversy, with lawyers arguing that it runs contrary to established criminal investigation procedures, particularly where the circumstances surrounding a death remain unclear.

Meanwhile, pressure has continued to mount on the authorities to ensure an independent investigation.

Lawyers, rights activists, social media users and other Nigerians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have urged the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Force Headquarters to guarantee transparency and public confidence.

Atiku also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct Umahi to temporarily step aside as Minister of Works pending the outcome of investigations, arguing that such action would allow an independent probe free from perceptions of interference.

“This is not a punishment; it is the minimum standard of public accountability in any serious democracy,” Atiku said.

“No official under this cloud should preside over a federal ministry as though it were business as usual.”

Meanwhile, Daily Trust gathered that Habila’s burial, earlier scheduled for today, has been postponed indefinitely.

An obituary poster circulating online indicated that she was to be buried at the Deeper Life Bible Church, Nok, in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

However, family sources confirmed that the burial would no longer hold as scheduled.

Henry Marah, member representing Jaba Constituency in Kaduna State House of Assembly, also confirmed the postponement of the burial.

Although no official reason was given, the postponement comes amid the police’ insistence that investigations would continue despite the family’s request for the release of the body.

DPP’s legal advice

A legal advice reportedly issued by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice also highlighted unresolved questions surrounding the cause of Habila’s death.

In the advice signed by J.U. Chukwu, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, the ministry acknowledged the family’s request but noted that critical issues remained unanswered.

The DPP advised the police to “invoke their discretionary power to either respect the request of the deceased’s family or proceed with the post-mortem examination.”

The legal advice listed observations made during the preliminary investigation, including that Habila was alone when she was found dead in her room.

It further stated that she was discovered lying lifeless on the floor, naked, with blood stains around her nose and mouth.

The DPP also noted that available evidence suggested she had not been ill before her death.

“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,” the advice stated.

It concluded that the circumstances naturally raised questions requiring scientific investigation.

“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.”

Father rejects autopsy, seeks end to investigation

In an affidavit deposed to on July 13, Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, urged the court to order the police to discontinue the investigation and release his daughter’s remains for burial.

While expressing appreciation for efforts to determine the cause of death, he insisted that neither he nor his family would consent to an autopsy.

“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 stated.

The affidavit also revealed details of Habila’s employment.

It stated that she was a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences who had been seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja about three years before her death.

According to the affidavit, she served as the minister’s personal nurse and was among his immediate staff, residing at the minister’s guest house in Abuja and at the staff quarters in Ebonyi whenever official duties required.

The father further appealed that the family wished “to leave her body and organs intact” and therefore opposed both the autopsy and further investigation.

He added that he did not intend to honour any future invitation by either the police or the court because the family did not suspect foul play.

“I was never induced, coerced or influenced in any way by anybody to make these depositions,” he added.

Family cannot stop autopsy, says lawyer

Legal practitioner and rights activist Hameed Jimoh, however, said the family lacks the legal authority to prevent the police from conducting an autopsy where circumstances surrounding a death warrant criminal investigation.

He explained that the investigation of suspicious or unnatural deaths falls within the statutory responsibility of the police and is ultimately a matter between the state and society rather than a private family affair.

“Criminal investigation in cases of alleged murder or suspicious death is the sole responsibility of the police,” he said.

“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.”

According to him, an autopsy remains one of the recognised forensic tools available to investigators in determining the cause and circumstances of death.

“In my humble opinion, the family has no legal capacity to stop either the investigation or an autopsy where it is considered necessary.”

Atiku, Sowore seek independent probe

The controversy has continued to attract reactions from political leaders and rights advocates.

In a statement personally signed and posted on Thursday, Atiku accused the federal government of failing to demonstrate sufficient urgency in handling the matter.

“The government’s fi rst duty is the protection of life. Where a life is lost in circumstances touching a high official of state, the burden on government to act transparently is at its heaviest,” he said.

He argued that the prolonged delay in conducting an autopsy nearly three weeks aft er Habila’s death had further eroded public confi dence.

The former vice president demanded four immediate steps.

First, he said President Tinubu should direct Umahi to step aside pending the conclusion of investigations.

Second, he urged the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation from the Ebonyi State Command to Force Headquarters with the involvement of independent forensic experts.

Third, he called for what he described as “a full, independent and internationally credible autopsy” whose findings should be made public.

Finally, he urged authorities to ensure that Habila’s family was protected from intimidation, inducement or undue pressure throughout the investigation.

Earlier, activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, had also called for a coroner’s inquest into the death.

According to him, the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death warranted a thorough forensic investigation before any burial could take place.

Friend recounts final moments

As public attention intensified, fresh details also emerged from an affidavit reportedly sworn by Anita Baaki, a close friend and colleague of the deceased.

According to the affi davit, reported by Punch, Baaki travelled with Habila and other officials from Abuja to Ebonyi on June 24 for anofficial assignment under the Minister of Works.

She stated that members of the medical team were accommodated in separate but adjoining rooms within a staff chalet at the minister’s country home in Uburu.

Baaki said she last saw Habila alive on the evening of June 26 after she returned from having her hair done.

According to her, Habila stopped by her room to show off her new hairstyle before they chatted briefly.

“Mary told me she was tired and wanted to take a shower before sleeping. That was the last time I saw her alive,” she stated.

Baaki said concern arose the following morning when repeated telephone calls went unanswered.

Aft er knocking several times without response, she alerted a domestic staff member to help locate her colleague.

When searches elsewhere on the premises proved unsuccessful, other staff members were informed and the room was eventually forced open.

She said Habila was found lying unconscious on the floor near the entrance.

She was rushed to the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed that she was dead on arrival.

Baaki maintained that her affidavit was made voluntarily and without coercion to assist investigators in establishing the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.

Police insist investigation will continue

Despite the family’s objections, the Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that the investigation will continue.

Police Public Relations Officer Joshua Ukandu said detectives received a distress call on the day of the incident reporting a medical emergency involving Habila at the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital in Uburu.

He said officers were informed that she had already died before arriving at the hospital, prompting the Commissioner of Police to transfer the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a more detailed inquiry.

According to the command, preliminary investigations showed that Habila and Baaki were both members of the minister’s medical team and had travelled from Abuja to Uburu for official duties before the incident occurred.

The police said a post-mortem examination remained necessary given the nature of the case and the need to establish the actual cause of death.

“The examination remains necessary given the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death,” the command stated.

It disclosed that detectives had visited the scene, taken statements from relevant witnesses and were making arrangements for a qualified pathologist to conduct the autopsy.

The command added that it was awaiting the presence of members of the deceased’s family or their representatives to witness the process, describing their participation as important to ensuring transparency.

‘I recently paid N2.2m hospital bill for her,’ Umahi speaks

Minister of Works David Umahi on Thursday once again spoke on Ms Habila’s death, insisting he suspected no foul play and describing attempts to link him to the incident as “politics taken too far.”

Umahi said the deceased, whom he said was “like a daughter”, had worked closely with him for about three years and had a history of medical challenges, revealing that he personally funded her treatment, including a medical bill of about.N2.2 million in April.

He also claimed that shortly before she was found dead, Habila had complained of bleeding from her nose during a telephone conversation with her boyfriend, maintaining that there was no evidence suggesting criminal activity.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja after the Federal Executive Council meeting, the minister said the deceased was a nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, and not a physiotherapist as widely reported.

The clarification followed a statement by the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy on Thursday that Mary Habila’s name does not appear on its register of licensed physiotherapists, as well as her father’s affi davit stating that she served as the minister’s personal nurse.

The minister’s latest comments came amid growing public interest and demands for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 26-year-old’s death.

Giving his first detailed account of the incident, Umahi said Habila had lived and worked with his family for years and enjoyed a close relationship with them.

He appealed to the deceased’s family to allow an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death, revealing that he had instructed that her body should not be released for burial until the procedure was conducted.

“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,” he said.

The minister disclosed that Ms. Habila had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness at a hospital before her death and claimed he personally paid her most recent medical bill of N2.2 million in April.

Narrating what he described as her fi nal moments, Umahi said Ms. Habila told her boyfriend she had developed a nosebleed but later said it had stopped. According to him, the boyfriend advised her to seek medical attention before ending the call.

“Three minutes later, the boyfriend called back, but she was no longer responding,” he said, adding that she had earlier told the boyfriend she intended to take a bath.

Umahi said colleagues became concerned the following morning after she failed to come out of her room. When the door was forced open, she was found dead, while the bathroom tap was still running.

The minister argued that the guest house where the incident occurred was separate from his personal residence and questioned efforts to hold him personally responsible simply because the death occurred on government premises linked to his office.

Daily Trust could not confirm if the minister was at his country home when the incident occurred.

He maintained that investigators should obtain the telephone records between Ms. Habila and her boyfriend, insisting they would provide further insight into her final hours.

While acknowledging the widespread public concern, Umahi reiterated that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja and facilitate discussions with the family over the autopsy.

“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,” he said.

Umahi’s latest remarks come as public scrutiny over the case continues to intensify, with opposition fi gures, civil society groups and lawyers calling for an independent and transparent investigation into Habila’s death.

The controversy has also revived memories of previous allegations made against the minister while he served as governor of Ebonyi State.

Months earlier, businesswoman Tracy Ohiri publicly accused Umahi of harassment and intimidation following a dispute over business dealings with the Ebonyi State Government.

She alleged that she was unlawfully detained and subjected to pressure aft er disagreements over contractual matters.

Umahi denied the allegations, insisting they were politically motivated and without merit. The claims did not result in any criminal conviction against the minister after a settlement.

However, rights groups at the time urged the authorities to ensure that the allegations were thoroughly investigated. (Daily trust)