Fresh details have emerged surrounding the death of Mary Habila, a nurse attached to the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences (DUFUS) and on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works, following a sworn statement by her colleague and close friend, Anita Baaki.
Baaki, a physiotherapist from Benue State, said she travelled from Abuja to Ebonyi State with other ministry staff on June 24 for official duties under the Minister of Works, David Umahi.
In an affidavit filed before the Ebonyi State High Court, she stated that the team was accommodated in separate but adjoining rooms in a staff chalet located within the minister’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area.
She clarified that the building served as accommodation for staff members and associates and was not the minister’s personal residence.
According to Baaki, on the evening of June 26, Habila visited her room after returning from having her hair done. The two chatted before Habila said she intended to take a shower and go to bed.
“Mary told me she was tired and wanted to take a shower before sleeping. That was the last time I saw her alive,” Baaki stated.
She explained that the following morning she became worried when Habila did not come out as usual. After repeated phone calls went unanswered, she knocked on her door but received no response.
When efforts to locate Habila elsewhere failed, other staff members were alerted and the locked room was forced open.
Habila was found lying unconscious on the floor near the door and was immediately rushed to the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed she was dead on arrival.
Baaki said her statement was made voluntarily and without coercion to assist official investigations.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing Minister David Umahi have formally requested the Ebonyi State Police Command to conduct a comprehensive forensic autopsy before Habila’s remains are released for burial.
In a letter to the Commissioner of Police, the legal team said the request was necessary to ensure transparency, preserve the integrity of the investigation and establish the exact cause of death.
The lawyers also reiterated that Habila was staying in accommodation designated for staff members and associates, not in the minister’s personal residence.
They urged police to engage qualified forensic pathologists and requested that the body not be released to her family, including her next of kin, Tanko Habila Wisdom, until the autopsy and other investigative procedures had been completed.
According to the legal team, delaying the release of the body until forensic examinations are concluded would help preserve evidence, minimise speculation and ensure that conclusions about the death are based on scientific findings.
Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death are continuing.
