Published: Sunday, July 12, 2026
By SUNTV Global Channel
Fresh details have emerged surrounding the death of Mary Habila, the physiotherapist who died at the residence of Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
According to reports, Habila was allegedly found dead inside the minister’s residence under circumstances that investigators are still trying to establish. Sources familiar with the ongoing investigation claimed that the physiotherapist was found without clothing when her body was removed from the premises.
The development comes barely a day after Minister Umahi publicly confirmed that Habila died at his residence and stated that she was a physiotherapist seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, to the Federal Ministry of Works.
However, police sources cited in media reports have questioned the circumstances surrounding the secondment, raising concerns over why personnel from the university hospital were assigned to the minister’s private residence.
According to investigators, Habila and another woman, Anita Baski, both reportedly from Kaduna State, arrived at the residence on June 26, 2026. Habila was said to have been found dead the following morning.
Sources further alleged that Jonathan Bawado, a police officer who serves as Umahi’s personal assistant and formerly worked as his aide-de-camp during his tenure as governor of Ebonyi State, facilitated the women’s arrival at the residence and later alerted medical personnel after Habila was discovered unresponsive.
The matter has since been transferred from the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki for further investigation.
In an earlier statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Umahi described Habila’s death as unfortunate and expressed shock over the incident.
The minister stated that emergency procedures were immediately activated, with medical personnel and the Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital contacted without delay. He added that the Nigerian Police Force was informed in line with legal requirements.
Umahi also said he met with Habila’s family and advised them to approve an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, insisting that a thorough medical examination remains the most credible way to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
The death has continued to generate widespread public interest, with calls for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the young physiotherapist’s death.
Authorities have urged members of the public to avoid speculation while security agencies and medical experts continue their investigations.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
