Umahi Breaks Silence on Staff Member’s Death at Ebonyi Residence

(Dave Umahi And Mary Habila. Photo by The Source Magazine)

Nigeria's Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has broken his silence over the death of Mary Habila, a staff member attached to the Federal Ministry of Works who died while staying at his residence in Ebonyi State.

Speaking during an inspection of the Calabar Ebonyi Benue Nasarawa Abuja Super Highway, Umahi rejected claims of a cover-up, insisting that the matter had been handled transparently from the outset.

He explained that Mary worked at the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital and had been seconded to the ministry, adding that another woman present with her was also a physiotherapist from Benue State similarly seconded to the ministry.

He pushed back against suggestions that the wrong impression was being created around the circumstances of the women's presence at his residence, saying his lawyers had been briefed and would confront those he described as spreading falsehoods under the guise of fighting for justice, insisting that if he had intentionally caused her death, the consequences awaiting him would be far graver than hers.

Umahi accused certain individuals of exploiting the tragedy to create misleading online content, stressing that he had personally ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, warning that anyone using a person's death to fabricate content and mislead the public would eventually face consequences.

He explained that Mary's family alerted authorities after growing concerned, breaking open her room and calling in doctors who attempted to revive her before ultimately notifying the police.

He questioned claims of secrecy surrounding the incident, noting that the family reported the matter to both the hospital and police as soon as it was discovered, and that doctors did everything possible to save her once her door was forced open.

He maintained that there was nothing concealed about the sequence of events, suggesting instead that those spreading false narratives would eventually face the consequences of their actions.