Minister of Works David Umahi has disclosed that Mary Habila, the nurse who died at his residence in Ebonyi State, told her boyfriend she was experiencing a nosebleed shortly before her death.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi sought to address public concerns surrounding the incident, describing the late nurse as “like a daughter” and insisting that her death should not be politicised.
According to the minister, Habila, who had worked with his medical team for about three years, spoke with her boyfriend moments before she died and mentioned that she had started bleeding from the nose.
“She spoke to her boyfriend at the hour of her death and complained that she was bleeding from the nose,” Umahi said.
He added that the boyfriend advised her to seek medical attention, but she reportedly replied that the bleeding had stopped. Umahi said the boyfriend later ended the call after expressing concern that continuing the conversation could worsen the bleeding.
“Three minutes later, the boyfriend called again. She was not responding,” the minister said.
Umahi further stated that Habila had told her boyfriend she was going to take a bath because she felt unwell. According to him, when the door to her room was eventually forced open the following morning, the shower tap was still running.
Minister Requests Call Records
Umahi said he had asked the police to retrieve the call records between Habila and her boyfriend as part of the ongoing investigation.
He also alleged that some police officers leaked photographs taken of the deceased at the mortuary, accusing them of fuelling misleading narratives about the circumstances of her death.
The minister clarified that Habila was a nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, not a physiotherapist as earlier reported. He also disclosed that he had previously sponsored her medical treatment at a Turkish hospital, noting that both families had maintained a close relationship.
Autopsy to Proceed
Earlier on Thursday, the Ebonyi State Police Command announced that it would proceed with an autopsy despite objections from some members of Habila’s family. Umahi had also formally requested the police to conduct the autopsy to establish the cause of death.
Authorities are continuing investigations, with the autopsy expected to play a key role in determining the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s death.
