Umahi said Habila had been receiving treatment at the Turkish Hospital, with all her medical bills personally paid by him.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, on Thursday disclosed that he spent more than N2.2 million on the medical treatment of the late Mary Habila, saying she had been battling a “strange illness” long before her death.
Addressing journalists in Abuja amid controversy surrounding Habila’s death, Umahi said the deceased had been receiving treatment at the Turkish Hospital, with all her medical bills personally paid by him.
According to the minister, Habila had suffered recurring episodes of unexplained nosebleeding, including during an official trip to Lagos, where she reportedly contacted her boyfriend, who advised her to seek medical attention.
Umahi said the same symptoms occurred shortly before her death. He explained that Habila had spoken with her boyfriend moments before the incident, complaining of another nosebleed and informing him she was about to take a bath.
“The boyfriend called back about three minutes later, but she did not answer,” Umahi said.
He added that after repeated efforts to reach her failed, her room was forced open and she was found dead, with the bathroom tap still running.
Rejecting insinuations linking him to the incident, Umahi noted that the guest house where Habila lived was far from his residence.
“The guest house where she stayed is nowhere near where I live. Does it mean that if someone dies in the Ministry of Works, the minister must automatically be held responsible?” he asked.
The minister acknowledged that Habila was among the medical personnel assigned to attend to him at both his official residence in Asokoro and the ministry’s guest house, but insisted there was no basis for allegations circulating on social media.
He also defended another medical staff member mentioned in media reports, explaining that she had worked with him since his days as governor before securing federal employment.
The minister disclosed that Habila’s family initially opposed an autopsy on cultural grounds, but said he directed his lawyers to insist on the procedure and ordered that her body should not be released until the examination is conducted.
He said he had formally reported the matter to the Inspector-General of Police and requested that the investigation be handled in Abuja.
Appealing to the deceased’s family to cooperate with investigators, the minister said an autopsy remained the only reliable way to establish the true cause of death.
He also directed investigators to obtain and analyse the call records between Habila and her boyfriend, noting that their last conversation took place only minutes before she died.
Describing Habila’s death as a painful loss, Umahi said she was one of his most dedicated staff members and would be difficult to replace.
He urged Nigerians to avoid spreading misinformation and allow the police to complete their investigation, adding that all of Habila’s medical records from the Turkish Hospital had been made available to investigators.
The minister further clarified that contrary to reports describing her as a physiotherapist, Habila was a nurse and a staff member of the Federal University of Health Sciences who had lived with his family for about three years while serving at his residence and the ministry’s guest house.