*She was like a daughter to me
*She was receiving treatment at Turkish Hospital in Abuja; N2.2m paid
*I’m going to test the law on cyberbullying over this matter
Days after her sudden demise, more revelations are coming out on what may have led to the death of a nurse, Mary Habila, in the residence of Works Minister, Senator David Umahi.
Speaking publicly for the first time after the incident, Umahi declared that he treated Habila, who died at a guest house within his residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, like a daughter and it is wrong to politicise her death.
The former governor of the South-East state, who said he had reported the matter to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and requested that the investigation be transferred to Abuja, also insisted that an autopsy must be carried out to determine the cause of the death.
While revealing that Habila spoke with her boyfriend on the night before her death, and complained of a nosebleed, Umahi said she was a nurse with the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, and not a physiotherapist.
“The lady in question was like a daughter to me. She had stayed with me for three years. She was a staff of the Federal Medical University. She was a nurse and not a physiotherapist.
“Habila and another female staff member from Benue State were the only occupants of the guest house, which is separate from my personal residence.
The minister said Habila spoke with her boyfriend on the night before she was found dead.
“She told the boyfriend she was bleeding from the nose. The boyfriend advised her to report it to her boss. She later told him the bleeding had stopped.
“He then said he would end the call so she could rest. She pleaded with him not to end the conversation, but he did. About three minutes later, he called back and she was no longer answering her phone.
“Her colleagues became concerned the following morning after repeated attempts to reach her failed.
“They forced open the door to her room and found her lifeless.
“When they broke the door, they found her dead. The tap was still running. I think she wanted to have her bath.
“We told our lawyer that an autopsy should be done. We are appealing to the parents to allow it. They said it is against their culture,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that Habila had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition at Turkish Hospital in Abuja, with the medical expenses paid by his family.
According to him, the last hospital bill, amounting to about N2.2 million, was settled on April 5, adding that the relevant medical records were available at the hospital.
“What baffles me is that everything becomes politics in this country. Must the minister be held responsible because somebody died in a guest house under the Ministry of Works? Is that how it works?
“We are going to test the law on cyberbullying over this matter.
“I have no reason to suspect foul play. The door to Habila’s room was locked from the inside and had to be forced open before she was discovered”.
