Again, Minister Umahi Told to Step Aside Immediately Over Death of Mary Habila at His Residence
- ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, Atiku Abubakar, demanded that Minister David Umahi step aside pending an investigation into the perplexing death of Mary Habila
- Mary Habila, a physiotherapist, died on June 27, 2026, inside Umahi's private residence in Uburu, Ebonyi state, with no autopsy conducted three weeks later
- The mystery surrounding the death of Miss Habila in Umahi’s residence has become one of the biggest scandals in 2026
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Abakaliki, Ebonyi state - Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday, July 16, called on President Bola Tinubu to direct David Umahi, the minister of works, to step aside from office while authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Mary Habila.
Legit.ng reports that the late Habila was a 26-year-old woman from Nok, Southern Kaduna, who died on June 27, 2026, inside Umahi's private residence in Uburu, Ebonyi state.
Source: Twitter
Atiku, in a statement he personally signed, said the Tinubu administration had failed Nigerians by remaining silent for nearly two weeks after controversial Habila's death, with no official acknowledgement from the presidency, the inspector-general of police (IGP), or the Federal Executive Council until the story was brought to public attention by an online news outlet.
Atiku said:
"Consider the facts that are not in dispute. A young woman died in the residence of a serving Federal Minister. For nearly two weeks, neither the Minister, nor the police, nor any arm of government said a word to the Nigerian people."
The opposition leader stressed that he was not pronouncing guilt on anyone, but argued that the refusal to guarantee an independent inquiry was itself the scandal.
Atiku stated:
"Only a credible, independent, and transparent investigation can establish the truth."
Habila: Atiku presses for independent autopsy
Beyond calling for Umahi's suspension from office, Atiku set out three additional demands. He urged Tunji Disu, the IGP, to immediately transfer the case from the Ebonyi State Command to Force Headquarters, arguing that no investigation conducted within the minister's long-standing sphere of influence in his home state could command public confidence. Umahi served two terms as governor of Ebonyi state before his appointment as minister by President Tinubu.
Furthermore, Atiku demanded that a full, independent autopsy be conducted without further delay and that the findings be made public, describing the three-week stalemate over a post-mortem as "an indictment of every institution involved."
His fourth demand was that Habila's family be shielded from any pressure or inducement and be guaranteed unrestricted access to information about how their daughter died.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election alleged that Umahi had been allowed to shape public perception of the incident through statements from personal aides and private lawyers corresponding with police, while continuing his ministerial duties without interruption.
Tinubu's govt 'silence' under scrutiny
Atiku directed pointed criticism at the presidency for treating what he described as a grave matter of public accountability as something to be quietly outlasted.
He said:
"President Tinubu's administration has instead treated this tragedy as an inconvenience to be waited out."
He concluded his statement with a broader challenge to the administration. "If the death of a young Nigerian woman in a Minister's residence cannot stir this government to act, then Nigerians must ask: whose life, exactly, does this government value?"
Atiku extended his condolences to the Habila family, saying Mary Habila was "a young professional with her life ahead of her" and that her death must not be reduced to "a footnote of political convenience."
Read Atiku's full statement on Umahi below via the X post:
Source: Facebook
Umahi speaks on Habila's death
Meanwhile, Umahi publicly addressed reports surrounding the death of Habila, a nurse who died at his residence in Ebonyi state, dismissing suggestions that the circumstances of her passing were being concealed.
The minister clarified that it was Habila's own family who raised the alarm after becoming worried about her welfare, forcing open her room before contacting medical personnel.
Umahi said, according to The Cable:
"The family broke the girl's door, called doctors from DUFUTH, who took her to hospital and did everything to revive her, but failed.
"The family reported the matter to the police, so where is the secrecy?"
Umahi orders autopsy into nurse's death
Umahi confirmed that he had instructed an autopsy be carried out to establish the cause of death, stressing that the procedure would only proceed with the approval of Habila's parents, who are currently in Ebonyi state.
He described Habila as a committed staff member of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), and rejected what he characterised as misleading narratives circulating about the incident.
Furthermore, the minister disclosed that he had tasked his legal team with pursuing action against individuals he accused of spreading falsehoods in connection with Habila's death. He added that the deceased's parents would also speak to journalists and pursue their own legal proceedings against those propagating the alleged misinformation.
Umahi stated that the police were informed of the incident immediately after it occurred, pushing back against any characterisation of the case as suspicious or improperly handled.
Read more on Umahi
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- Umahi blasts NDC 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi, “he can’t face me”
Mary Habila: ADC tackles Umahi
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku's party, the ADC, demanded a full independent investigation into the mysterious death of Habila.
The ADC alleged that the federal government's response so far has fallen short of what public accountability requires.
ADC national spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, shared a statement issued by the opposition party, calling for a formal inquiry conducted entirely outside the influence of the executive arm of government.
Source: Legit.ng
