Mystery Deepens Over Umahi Nurse’s Death As Family Rejects Autopsy, Police Insist Probe Must Continue

• A sworn affidavit by Mary Habila’s colleague reconstructs the nurse’s final hours, revealing she was found unconscious in a locked room after failing to respond to repeated calls and knocks before doctors confirmed her dead on arrival at DUFUTH.

• The Ebonyi State Police Command has insisted that a forensic autopsy is indispensable to determine the true cause of Habila’s death, despite her family’s formal rejection of the procedure and request to discontinue further investigation.

• Minister of Works David Umahi has denied allegations of a cover-up, insisting the incident was promptly reported to the police, while maintaining that misleading reports about the nurse’s death are intended to distort the facts.

• The conflicting positions of the deceased’s family, the police and the minister have deepened public interest in the case, with investigators expected to rely on forensic evidence, witness statements and other findings to establish how the 26-year-old nurse died while on official assignment in Ebonyi State.

July 16 , () — The circumstances surrounding the death of 26-year-old nurse, Mary Habila, who died on June 27, 2026, while on official assignment with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have continued to generate controversy as the Ebonyi State Police Command insists on conducting a forensic autopsy despite the family’s refusal to grant consent.

The controversy has been fuelled by a sworn affidavit from Habila’s colleague detailing the events preceding her death, the minister’s rejection of allegations of a cover-up, and the family’s insistence that no further investigation should be carried out because it does not suspect foul play.

According to court documents, Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences (DUFUMS), had been on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works, where she served for about three years in the Office of the Minister of Works as a nurse attached to the minister and members of his immediate staff.

The Final Hours

A sworn affidavit filed before the Ebonyi State High Court by Anita Baaki, a physiotherapist and close friend of the deceased, provides the clearest account yet of Habila’s final hours.

Baaki said she and other officials travelled from Abuja to Ebonyi State on June 24, 2026, for official assignments under the supervision of the Minister of Works.

According to her, members of the delegation were accommodated in separate but adjoining rooms inside a staff chalet located within Umahi’s country home in Uburu. She clarified that the chalet served as accommodation for ministry staff members and associates and was not the minister’s personal residence.

She recalled that on the evening of June 26, Habila returned after having her hair done and visited her room to show off her new hairstyle.

The two colleagues chatted and joked briefly before Habila excused herself, saying she was exhausted and intended to take a shower before going to bed.

“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 her affidavit.The following morning, June 27, Baaki became worried when Habila failed to leave her room as usual.

Repeated telephone calls to the nurse went unanswered. After knocking several times on the locked door without receiving any response, Baaki alerted a domestic staff member to search the premises.

When Habila could not be located elsewhere, other staff members joined in forcing the door open.

She was found lying unconscious on the floor near the entrance of the room.

Doctors from the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH) immediately evacuated her to the hospital, where medical personnel confirmed that she was brought in dead.

Baaki stressed that her statement was made voluntarily and solely to assist investigators.

Umahi Denies Cover-Up Allegation

As public speculation intensified, Minister of Works David Umahi rejected claims that Habila’s death was concealed.

Speaking while inspecting ongoing construction on the Ebonyi section of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, Umahi said the incident was promptly reported to the police.

According to him, members of Habila’s family were among those who forced open her room after becoming concerned about her welfare before doctors from DUFUTH were summoned.

“The family broke the girl’s door, called doctors from DUFUTH, who took her to the hospital and did everything to revive her, but failed”, Umahi said.

Rejecting allegations of secrecy, the minister queried: “The family reported the matter to the police, so where is the secrecy?”

He also warned that individuals circulating what he described as false reports about the incident would face legal action.

Umahi disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to commence legal proceedings against those allegedly spreading misinformation and maintained that Habila’s parents would also address journalists on the matter.

Following the incident, lawyers representing the Minister, formally requested the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police to conduct a comprehensive forensic autopsy before releasing Habila’s remains.

The legal team argued that the examination would preserve the integrity of the investigation and scientifically determine the actual cause of death.The lawyers also clarified that Habila was staying in accommodation reserved for ministry staff members and associates, rather than inside the minister’s personal residence, contrary to reports circulating on social media.

According to them, only Habila and Anita Baaki occupied the staff chalet on the night before her death.

They urged the police to engage qualified forensic pathologists and requested that the body should not be released to her next of kin, Tanko Habila Wisdom of Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, until all forensic procedures had been concluded.

Family Rejects Autopsy

However, the deceased’s family has formally rejected the proposed autopsy.

In an affidavit titled “Affidavit of Withdrawal of Case”, sworn before the High Court of Justice of Ebonyi State, Habila’s father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, said the family does not suspect foul play and therefore wishes to discontinue any further investigation.

The affidavit confirmed that Habila died on June 27 while on official assignment in Uburu.

Although acknowledging that efforts were being made to determine the cause of death, the family insisted that it would not permit an autopsy.

“While I welcome steps being taken to unravel the cause of my daughter’s death, my family and I will not accept any autopsy on my daughter’s body”, the affidavit stated.The family appealed to investigators to release Habila’s body immediately for burial and requested that no further investigative steps be taken. It also declared that it would not honour future invitations from either the Nigeria Police Force or the courts in connection with the matter.

According to the affidavit, the decision was made voluntarily and without coercion, inducement or influence from any individual.

Police Insist Investigation Will Continue

Despite the family’s position, the Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that a forensic autopsy remains essential.

Police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, said the command received a distress call on June 27 from the Divisional Police Officer of Ohaozara Division reporting a medical emergency involving Habila at the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Uburu.

According to him, the DPO was informed by hospital authorities that the nurse had been brought in dead. He said the Commissioner of Police immediately directed that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a comprehensive investigation.

Preliminary findings, according to the police, showed that Habila and Anita Baaki were members of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works and had accompanied him to his hometown in Uburu, where Habila later died in a room within the compound of his country home.

Ukandu said detectives had visited the scene, obtained statements from relevant witnesses and commenced a full-scale investigation.

He disclosed that the command was making arrangements to engage a qualified forensic pathologist to conduct a post-mortem examination that would establish the actual cause of death and support the ongoing investigation.

Although acknowledging the family’s refusal to consent to the procedure, the police maintained that an autopsy remained necessary because of “the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death.”

The command said it was awaiting the attendance of the deceased’s family or their duly authorised representative, stressing that their presence was essential for the conduct of the post-mortem examination.

The Police assured the public that its investigation would be thorough, transparent and impartial, pledging to provide further updates as the case progresses.