Finally, Mary Habila’s Remains Are Laid To Rest

By Akinwale Kasali 

After all the controversies, the remains of  Mary Habila, the Nurse who passed within the Ubulu, Ebonyi State Country home of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, have  finally been laid to rest.

She passed on June 27, 2026, inside her chalet in the staff quarters of the Minister’s country home while she and other staff members of the Ministry of Works were in Ebonyi State with Umahi.

Her funeral followed the caving in of his family members who finally agreed to an autopsy to determine the cause of her sudden death. The family had, initially, rejected an autopsy based on cultural beliefs. But Umahi insisted on the autopsy before her funeral in order to clear his name after accusing fingers were pointed at his direction by not a few people who refused to listen to his side of what exactly happened.

The 26-Year old was buried on Friday, August 21, in Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State weeks after her death.

The late Habila hailed from Nok, Kaduna State.

The circumstances surrounding her death led to public outcry and calls for a thorough investigation to unravel what led to her death.

It also led to the call for the removal of Umahi as Minister, as there were speculations that there was more than meets the eye to the circumstances surrounding her death. 

But the Minister vehemently denied those speculations and revealed that Habila was like his daughter and that he and his family had been picking her bill for an undisclosed ill-health she had been suffering from. Proof: Umahi asked whoever doubted to go to the Turkish Hospital Abuja and ask for her medical records.

Umahi had, also, in a video after his birthday on July 25, said he was surprised that the death of his staff member had been turned into a political issue.

“Power and might do not belong to social media, it belongs to God. And God sees the heart of men. What surprised me is that when people took the death of one of my best workers and started to play politics, they said the President should sack me,” Umahi said.

He however questioned why he should be removed from office over the incident. 

The minister had said, “Why should you sack me? For doing what? So anybody that is working with you and dies, then you must be sacked? But the President surprised all of them. Instead, he said, ‘Dave, go and build more roads”.

The Minister had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Habila’s death and said neither he nor any member of his family had anything to do with it.

He also criticised those he accused of attempting to profit politically from the tragedy.

“My prayer is this: if any member of my family or I had any hand in it, let our own fate be worse than that.

“But for those who want to profit from it, for those who want to play politics with it, I give the same prayer to them. If what they are saying is correct, let it be well with them. But otherwise, over the death of the young lady, their own will be worse than that. It’s a fair prayer,” he added.

After Habila’s death, her body was moved from Ebonyi State to Abuja for an autopsy after consultations involving her family, legal representatives and authorities handling the case.

The transfer followed a request from lawyers representing Umahi for the family’s consent to conduct a forensic examination.

The family later agreed to the autopsy but requested that it be carried out in Abuja.

In a letter, the family’s lawyer said, “That our client hereby agrees and consent for an autopsy on the body of Late Mary Habila subject to the transfer of the case to the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, FCT.”

The family also stated that the decision was aimed at ensuring that the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death were properly established.

The lawyers said the request was made “to quench the thirst of the General Public, for transparency, fairness and ensuring that the true cause and manner of the deceased death are conclusively established.”