Minister of Works, David Umahi, has broken his silence over reports surrounding the death of Mary Habila, a nurse who reportedly died at his residence in Ebonyi State, insisting there was no attempt to conceal the incident and announcing plans to pursue legal action against individuals spreading what he described as false information.
Key Highlights
- David Umahi addresses reports on the death of Mary Habila.
- Minister says the nurse’s family forced open her room after becoming concerned.
- Mary Habila was rushed to hospital but was confirmed dead despite efforts to revive her.
- Umahi says the incident was immediately reported to the police.
- Minister orders an autopsy with the consent of the deceased’s parents.
- Legal action to be taken against those spreading alleged false reports.
Umahi made the remarks on Sunday while inspecting ongoing construction work along the Ebonyi section of the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway.
Responding to reports suggesting that the circumstances surrounding Mary Habila’s death were shrouded in secrecy, the minister rejected the claims, stating that the matter was handled transparently from the onset.
According to Umahi, members of the deceased’s family became worried after she failed to respond and subsequently forced open her room before alerting medical personnel.
He explained that doctors from the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH) immediately attended to the nurse and rushed her to the hospital, where medical efforts to save her life proved unsuccessful.
“The family broke the girl’s door, called doctors from DUFUTH, who took her to hospital and did everything to revive her, but failed,” Umahi said.
“The family reported the matter to the police, so where is the secrecy?” he added.
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The Minister disclosed that he had directed that an autopsy be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, stressing that the procedure would be carried out with the full consent of Mary Habila’s parents.
Umahi described the deceased as a committed staff member of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital and expressed confidence that the autopsy would provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding her death.
He also revealed that the deceased’s parents, who are currently in Ebonyi State, would address journalists and institute legal proceedings against individuals accused of circulating what the family considers false and misleading information about the incident.
The minister further stated that his legal team had been instructed to commence legal action against persons and platforms allegedly publishing unverified reports capable of damaging his reputation.
The incident has continued to generate public attention, with many Nigerians calling for a thorough investigation and the release of the autopsy findings to establish the actual cause of Mary Habila’s death.
