Minister David Umahi Faces Calls for Autopsy and Suspension After Staff Death

Mary Habila, a 26‑year‑old nurse/physiotherapist attached to the Federal University of Medical Sciences in Uburu, died on 27 June 2026 at the residence of Minister of Works David Umahi in Ebonyi State. The Ebonyi State Police Command transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department and engaged a pathologist, stating that a post‑mortem is essential to determine the cause of death.

Minister Umahi has repeatedly asked for an autopsy, describing Habila as “like a daughter” and denying any foul play. His legal team petitioned the police to withhold the body until a forensic examination is completed.

Habila’s family, led by her father Tanko Habila, filed an affidavit in the Ebonyi High Court demanding that the investigation be halted and the body released for immediate burial, rejecting an autopsy on cultural grounds.

Opposition figures and civil‑society groups have called for an independent probe and for Umahi to step aside pending the outcome. The African Democratic Congress and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the minister, while the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Women International Alliance demanded a transparent, credible investigation.

The Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy later clarified that Habila’s name does not appear in its register, contradicting earlier statements that she was a physiotherapist. The controversy continues to dominate national discourse, with police investigations ongoing and no official cause of death released.