As public speculation continues over the death of a female staff member attached to a federal ministry, senior official David Umahi has pushed back against allegations of a cover-up, insisting that both the victim’s family and the police were involved immediately after her death was discovered.
In a statement addressing the controversy, Umahi challenged claims that ministry officials attempted to conceal the incident, saying the sequence of events had been misrepresented in public discussions and on social media.
Claims of Secrecy Rejected
One of the central allegations circulating online has been that authorities tried to keep the woman’s death out of public view.
Umahi rejected that narrative, arguing that there was no attempt to suppress information. According to him, the victim’s family reported the matter to the hospital after concerns were raised, while the police were also notified as part of the response.
He said the deceased’s room was forced open after she failed to respond, after which medical personnel were called in an attempt to revive her before she was confirmed dead.
“Where is the secrecy?” he asked, maintaining that the incident followed the normal process of involving both healthcare professionals and law enforcement.
Autopsy Ordered Amid Growing Questions
Responding to public demands for answers, Umahi disclosed that he directed that an autopsy be carried out to establish the cause of death. The revelation is one of the first indications from an official connected to the case that forensic examinations were requested following the incident.
However, he did not disclose whether the autopsy has been completed or what the findings revealed. Umahi also identified the deceased as a staff member of the Federal University Teaching Hospital who had been seconded to the ministry.
He further stated that another physiotherapist from Benue State had also been seconded to the ministry, apparently to clarify details about the personnel involved after conflicting reports emerged online.
Beyond disputing claims of a cover-up, Umahi accused some individuals of using the woman’s death to generate online engagement and spread what he described as misleading narratives.
He said lawyers had already been briefed to pursue legal action against those he believes deliberately circulated false information about the incident.
According to him, “when you use the death of people to curate content and deceive people,” it goes beyond public interest and becomes an abuse of a personal tragedy.
Questions Still Await Official Answers
While Umahi’s remarks provide the ministry’s most detailed response so far to allegations of secrecy, they do not answer several key questions that remain at the centre of public interest. The statement does not disclose the medical cause of death, the outcome of the autopsy, or whether investigators have ruled out foul play.
Until those findings are made public, the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death are likely to remain the subject of continued scrutiny, even as officials insist that due process was followed from the outset.
