The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on Thursday said the late Miss Mary Habila, the nurse whose death has sparked public controversy, lived in his house for more than three years.
He described her as a member of his family, insisting there was no evidence of foul play in her death.
Breaking his silence on the incident, Umahi said the deceased was one of his most trusted aides who had worked closely with him for years, describing attempts to link him to her death as politics taken too far.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, he clarified that Habila was a nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, and not a physiotherapist as widely reported.
Umahi said she had also battled health challenges for some time, with her medical treatment, including a recent hospital visit that cost about N2.2 million, funded by him.
According to him, Habila’s final conversation with her boyfriend before her death suggested she had complained of a nosebleed, a condition he said she had experienced on previous occasions.
He said the boyfriend advised her to seek medical attention after she reported bleeding from her nose, but she replied that it had stopped.
The minister added that she later told the boyfriend she intended to take a bath before communication suddenly ended.
“Three minutes after the call ended, the boyfriend tried calling her back, but she did not respond,” Umahi said.
He added that the deceased’s room had to be forced open after colleagues became concerned. She was found dead with the tap still running.
The minister noted that the guest house where the incident occurred was located some distance from his personal residence, stressing that it was unfair to hold him personally responsible simply because the facility belonged to the Ministry of Works.
He described the late Habila as a daughter, saying both families had maintained a close relationship over the years.
“My lawyers have already spoken on my behalf, but I want to correct the impression that has been created. The lady was like a daughter to me. She stayed with me for over three years.
She was a nurse and one of my best workers,” he said.
Umahi also disclosed that he had insisted on an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and directed that her remains should not be released for burial until the procedure is carried out.
According to him, efforts to conduct the autopsy have been delayed because the deceased’s family reportedly objected on cultural grounds.
He said he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to ensure a transparent probe and facilitate further engagement with the family on the need for an autopsy.
The minister urged investigators to obtain the call records between Habila and her boyfriend, insisting they would provide important details about her final moments.
While expressing deep sadness over the loss, Umahi maintained that there was no indication of criminal activity, noting that another occupant of the room was asleep at the time and that the room remained locked until it was forced open.
He also condemned what he described as the circulation of misleading photographs from the mortuary and vowed to institute legal action against individuals and media organisations found to have spread false information or engaged in cyberbullying over the incident.
