By Our Reporter
The family of 26-year-old physiotherapist, Mary Habila, popularly known as Mara, has announced plans to lay her to rest on Friday, July 17, even as police continue investigations into the circumstances surrounding her controversial death at the residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Ebonyi State.
Habila, whose death has sparked nationwide outrage and calls for accountability, reportedly died last Sunday at the minister’s official residence in Uburu. Her body was allegedly found naked when it was removed from the residence, a development that has intensified public demands for a thorough and transparent investigation.
In a funeral announcement released by the family, Habila was born on September 18, 2000, and died on June 27, 2026, at the age of 26.
According to the announcement, her funeral service will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 17, at the Deeper Life Bible Church in Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Family members, friends, colleagues, church members and sympathisers are expected to converge on Friday to pay their last respects to the young healthcare professional, whose sudden and tragic death has cast a pall of gloom over her family and community.
The burial announcement comes as investigators continue efforts to unravel what transpired before Habila was found unresponsive inside the minister’s residence.
Police authorities have maintained that a comprehensive autopsy is essential to determine the exact cause of death, stressing that forensic findings will play a crucial role in the ongoing investigation.
Minister Umahi, who has publicly acknowledged that Habila died at his residence, said she was a physiotherapist seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works.
The minister has denied any wrongdoing and said he personally requested a comprehensive autopsy to establish the cause of death, urging the public to allow investigators to complete their work. He has also threatened legal action against individuals he accused of spreading false information about the incident.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the investigation disclosed that detectives are reconstructing the sequence of events at the minister’s residence so as to examine allegations that the minister left his country home shortly after the incident while aides arranged for an ambulance. They are also seeking to establish who was present at the residence, the actions taken after Habila was discovered, and the exact time emergency medical assistance was requested.
…Women’s Group Urges Tinubu to Order Independent Probe as Umahi Denies Cover-Up
The Nigerian Women International Alliance (NWIA) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure an independent, transparent and credible investigation into the death of 26-year-old physiotherapist, Mary Habila, popularly known as Mara, whose death at the residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has continued to stir public concern.
In an open letter dated July 13, 2026, and jointly signed by the organisation’s President, Mrs. Omolara Abike, Vice President, Mrs. Ogonna Chiedum, and Secretary, Dr. Mariam Adeosun, the group said the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death warranted a thorough and impartial investigation capable of reinforcing public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
NWIA stressed that its call should not be misconstrued as an attempt to indict anyone, maintaining that every Nigerian is entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence and due process.
“The reported death of Mary Habila, a physiotherapist, at the residence of the Minister of Works has generated significant public concern and deserves a thorough, independent, professional and transparent investigation,” the group said.
“This letter is not an attempt to pronounce anyone guilty. Every Nigerian is entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence and the protection of due process. However, the higher the public office, the greater the obligation to submit to transparent scrutiny..
The alliance added that although concerns had been heightened by previous complaints and public allegations linked to the minister, none of those allegations had been established as facts. It therefore urged investigators to conduct a fair, professional and evidence-based inquiry.
The group’s intervention comes as police investigations into Habila’s death continue, with authorities expected to rely on the outcome of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Umahi denies secrecy, orders legal action
Meanwhile, Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed reports suggesting that Habila’s death was shrouded in secrecy or that there was an attempt to conceal the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Speaking while inspecting ongoing construction along the Ebonyi section of the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway on Monday, Umahi said it was members of the deceased’s family who forced open her room after becoming worried about her condition before she was rushed to hospital.
According to the minister, doctors from the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH) responded immediately and made efforts to revive her, but she could not be saved.
“The family broke the girl’s door, called doctors from the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), who took her to the hospital and did everything to revive her, but failed,” Umahi said.
He added that the incident was promptly reported to the police and disclosed that he had directed that an autopsy be carried out with the consent of Habila’s parents to establish the cause of death.
Umahi also announced that his lawyers had been instructed to initiate legal proceedings against individuals circulating what he described as false and defamatory reports about the incident.
He described the late Habila as a committed employee of DUFUTH and said her parents, who are currently in Ebonyi State, would address journalists and also pursue legal action against those spreading what he called falsehoods about their daughter’s death.
The death of the young physiotherapist has generated widespread reactions across the country, with civil society groups and members of the public calling for a transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure justice is served.
