Nigeria: SOKAPU sues Minister Umahi over nurse Mary Habila's death

The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Associations (SOKAPU) filed a suit in the Federal High Court in Kaduna against Minister of Works David Umahi, seeking ₦20 billion in damages for the death of 26‑year‑old nurse Mary Habila. Habila died on June 27 while staying at the minister’s residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State. The complaint also names her father, the Attorney‑General of Ebonyi State and the state Commissioner of Police, alleging a breach of duty of care and demanding an independent autopsy by experts from ABU Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital Ibadan and the National Hospital Abuja.

Habila had travelled from Abuja to Ebonyi on June 26 as part of the minister’s entourage and was described by colleagues as cheerful and healthy. Her body has not been released for burial, and the police investigation remains unresolved, with conflicting accounts about the circumstances of her death. The case has heightened public scrutiny of the minister’s handling of the incident and calls for transparency.