Nosebleed, Exhaustion and Final Call: Fresh details emerge in death of nurse at Umahi’s house
Nigeria’s minister of works, Senator David Umahi, has broken his silence regarding the controversial death of Mary Habila, a nurse who died at his country home in Uburu, Ebonyi State.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Umahi cleared the air on the circumstances surrounding the incident, revealing that the deceased had a pre-existing medical condition and was like a daughter to his family.
The demise of Habila on June 27 has sparked nationwide outrage, with public interest groups and citizens demanding an independent investigation into the incident.
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Reacting to the public outcry, Umahi clarified that Habila was an employee of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Ebonyi State, where she worked as a nurse, countering earlier reports that she was a physiotherapist.
”She had worked closely with me for about three years and was like a daughter to me and my family,” Umahi stated, adding that he had personally been sponsoring her medical treatment for an undisclosed health condition at a Turkish hospital.
The minister further disclosed that shortly before her passing, Habila had spoken with her boyfriend on the phone, during which she complained of experiencing a nosebleed.
The minister’s briefing follows details from a sworn affidavit submitted to the Ebonyi State High Court by Anita Baaki, a close friend and colleague of the deceased.
According to the court document dated July 15, 2026, Baaki and Habila had traveled from Abuja to Ebonyi on June 24 for an official assignment alongside other ministry staff. The team was accommodated in separate but adjoining rooms at a staff chalet within Umahi’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area.
Baaki recounted that she last saw Habila alive on the evening of June 26, after the nurse returned from a hair salon.
”Mary told me she was tired and wanted to take a shower before sleeping. That was the last time I saw her alive,” Baaki stated in the affidavit.
The alarm was raised the following morning, June 27, when Habila failed to emerge from her room as scheduled, leading to the discovery of her body.
While the minister’s statements point toward a tragic health-related incident, public pressure remains high as Nigerians await official autopsy results and conclusive police findings.
