Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has disclosed that Mary Habila, the nurse who died at a guest house within his residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, complained of a nosebleed during a phone conversation with her boyfriend on the night before she was found dead.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, Umahi described the deceased as “like a daughter” and insisted that a forensic autopsy was necessary to establish the actual cause of her death before her body is released for burial.
The minister clarified that Habila was a nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, and not a physiotherapist as previously reported.
According to Umahi, Habila informed her boyfriend that she was bleeding from the nose.
He said the boyfriend advised her to notify her supervisor, after which she reportedly told him the bleeding had stopped.
Umahi explained that when the boyfriend attempted to end the call so she could rest, Habila pleaded with him to remain on the line.
However, after the call ended, he called back a few minutes later but received no response.
He said concern grew the following morning after Habila could not be reached by colleagues.
They eventually forced open the door to her room and found her lifeless, with the water tap reportedly still running.
The minister said he had directed his lawyers to formally request a forensic autopsy and appealed to Habila’s family to consent to the procedure, despite their reported cultural objections.
Umahi also revealed that he had informed the Inspector-General of Police about the incident and requested that the investigation be transferred to Abuja to ensure transparency.
He further claimed that Habila had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition at the Turkish Hospital in Abuja, with medical expenses reportedly paid by his family, adding that relevant hospital records were available.
Expressing concern over public reactions to the incident, Umahi accused some individuals of politicising the matter and spreading false information online.
He warned that his legal team would pursue cyberbullying cases against those he believes are making defamatory claims.
Mary Habila died on June 27 under circumstances that remain under police investigation, with authorities insisting that a forensic autopsy is essential to determine the exact cause of death.
