Mary Habila Complained of Nosebleed Before Death, Says Umahi

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed that the late Mary Habila complained of a nosebleed to her boyfriend shortly before she was found dead in a guest house within his residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, Umahi said Habila, a nurse attached to the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works, spoke with her boyfriend on the night before her death and informed him that she was bleeding from the nose.

According to the minister, the boyfriend advised her to report the condition to her supervisor. She later told him the bleeding had stopped.

Umahi said the boyfriend wanted to end the call so she could rest, but Habila pleaded with him to remain on the line. He, however, ended the call and attempted to reach her again about three minutes later, but she did not answer.

The minister said concern arose the following morning after repeated attempts by colleagues to contact Habila proved unsuccessful. Her room was eventually forced open, and she was found dead, with the bathroom tap still running.

He maintained that he suspected no foul play, noting that the room had been locked from the inside before it was forced open.

Umahi also dismissed reports describing the deceased as a physiotherapist, insisting that she was a nurse who had worked closely with him for about three years and was “like a daughter” to him.

He further revealed that Habila had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition at a Turkish Hospital in Abuja, with the medical bills paid by his family.

According to him, the last payment of about ₦2.2 million was made on April 5, 2026, and records of her treatment were available at the hospital.

The minister said he had directed his lawyers to formally request a forensic autopsy and appealed to Habila’s family to allow the procedure despite their initial objections on cultural grounds.

He also disclosed that he had informed the Inspector-General of Police and requested that the investigation be transferred to Abuja to ensure transparency.

Umahi urged Nigerians to allow the police to conclude their investigation and refrain from politicising the incident, insisting that only a thorough investigation and forensic autopsy would establish the actual cause of Habila’s death.