News
Mary Habila was like a daughter to me, Umahi breaks silence
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday broke his silence over the death of Miss Mary Habila, a staff member who died at the minister’s residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, insisting that he suspected no foul play and describing attempts to link him to the incident as “politics taken too far.”
Umahi said the deceased, whom he described as “like a daughter,” had worked closely with him for years and had a history of medical challenges for which he personally funded treatment.
He also revealed that his late aide complained of bleeding from her nose during a phone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before she was found dead, as he insisted there was no evidence of foul play in the incident.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja to update the public on newly approved projects by President Bola Tinubu, the minister disclosed that the deceased was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, contrary to reports describing her as a physiotherapist.
The minister’s comments come amid widespread public interest and speculation surrounding the circumstances of the young woman’s death after reports emerged that she died in one of the ministry’s guest houses.
Providing his first detailed account of the incident, Umahi said the deceased had been living and working with him for about three years and enjoyed a close relationship with his family.
He also appealed to the deceased’s family to permit an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death, revealing that he had directed that the body should not be released for burial until the procedure was conducted.
He said, “My lawyers have spoken on my behalf. But one piece of information I want to correct is that the lady in question was like a daughter to me. She had stayed with me for three years. She was a staff member of the Federal Medical University. She was a nurse and not a physiotherapist. And her family and my family are like one family.”
The minister disclosed that the deceased had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital before her death, with medical bills allegedly paid by him.
According to him, “She has her medical records in Turkish Hospital, being paid by us. The last one was on the 5th of April, and it cost me N2.2 million. The records are there. I paid N2.2 million.”
Umahi also narrated what he said were the deceased’s final moments before she was found dead, claiming she had complained of bleeding from the nose during a telephone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before communication stopped.
He said, “She spoke to her boyfriend at the hour of her death and complained that she was bleeding from the nose. The boyfriend said, ‘No, you have to report it.’ She said it had stopped. The boyfriend then said, ‘Listen, I will not continue this conversation since you are bleeding. It will increase the bleeding.’
“She told the boyfriend, ‘Don’t cut the call.’ The boyfriend cut the call. Three minutes later, the boyfriend called again. She was not responding.”
According to the minister, the deceased had earlier informed her boyfriend that she intended to take a bath before communication ceased.
“Even in the morning, she told her boyfriend she was going to bathe because she had locked her door. When they discovered something was wrong, they broke down the door and discovered her dead. The tap was still running,” Umahi said.
The minister stressed that the guest house where the deceased died was located far from his personal residence, arguing that it was unfair to hold him personally responsible simply because the incident occurred within facilities linked to the ministry.
“What baffles me in this country is that everything becomes an opportunity. There is a guest house where she and other medical personnel stayed, and that is very far from where I stay. Does it mean that because somebody dies in the Ministry of Works, the minister must be accountable for that?” he asked.
Umahi lamented what he described as attempts to exploit the young woman’s death for political purposes.
“People should be careful when they want to use the unfortunate death of a young girl to play politics. If we have a hand in the killing, it will follow our families and us. But if we don’t have a hand in it and you are jumping into it, be careful. Life is spiritual,” he said.
The minister said the deceased had been one of his most dedicated staff members and that her death had left him devastated.
“It is very painful to me that the girl passed on. It is very difficult to replace her. She was one of my best workers,” he said.
Umahi disclosed that efforts by investigators to conduct an autopsy had so far been unsuccessful because the deceased’s family objected on cultural grounds.
He said, “We have been begging the parents to allow an autopsy to happen. They said it is against their culture. But we insisted through our lawyer that an autopsy should happen. I have directed that the corpse cannot be removed until an autopsy.”
The minister added that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to ensure a thorough probe and facilitate discussions with the family.
“We have reported to the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the case to Abuja. Let them beg the family to do an autopsy. I am also begging the family to meet with the Inspector-General so that he can convince them,” he said.
Umahi further claimed that the deceased had previously experienced similar episodes of nosebleed while accompanying him on official assignments.
According to him, “The boyfriend also told us that when we were in Lagos, she called him and said she was bleeding from the nose. He advised her to report to me so I could send her back to the hospital, but she didn’t want to stress me. He then told her to find a hospital around and seek treatment.”
He urged investigators to retrieve the telephone records between the deceased and her boyfriend.
“I have asked the police to go to the call logs. They should go to the call log of the boy and the call log of the girl, and they will hear the last conversation the girl had with the boyfriend at the hour of her death,” he said.
While maintaining that the investigation should run its full course, Umahi said he had seen no evidence suggesting criminal activity.
“I suspect no foul play because the other lady who stayed with her was sleeping in the same bed. Her room was still locked, and the door had to be broken before they discovered the body. The tap was still running because I think she was going to bathe,” he stated.
The minister also criticised the circulation of photographs allegedly taken at the mortuary, accusing some police officers of leaking misleading information.
He said, “When they took her to the mortuary, that was where the police took the picture. They did not dress her up in the mortuary before taking the picture and sending out damaging information.”
Umahi vowed to pursue legal action against media organisations he accused of spreading false information and cyberbullying the deceased.
“I have directed my lawyers to get across to those involved in cyberbullying this matter. We are going to test the law on that,” he added.
The PUNCH reports that the death of the female nurse has generated widespread public attention following reports and social media claims questioning the circumstances surrounding her demise at a government guest house linked to the Ministry of Works. The incident has prompted calls from some groups for an independent investigation, while police authorities have continued inquiries into the case.
An autopsy, which investigators consider crucial to determining the exact cause of death, has yet to be carried out following objections reportedly raised by the deceased’s family on cultural grounds. Police investigations are ongoing.
A 29-year-old Nigerian man, James Abiwon, has died after a tree fell on his car during Storm Boelo in Mill Hill, north London.
According to Metro UK, Abiwon was driving along Dollis Road at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday when the tree fell amid strong winds.
Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics and an air ambulance, rushed to the scene. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Abiwon’s cousin, Tyrrell Okolo, described him as “a master of everything” and a devoted family man.
The deceased worked as a technology sales executive and held a degree from the University of Essex. He was also a semi-professional footballer who played for Aldershot, a musician whose YouTube channel had about 40,000 viewers, and a mentor to many people, according to his cousin.
Abiwon had been preparing to celebrate his 30th birthday with a padel tournament. Following his death, the event will go ahead in his memory, with proceeds expected to support his family.
His close friend, 29-year-old Kwame Affum, said they had played padel together just two days before the fatal incident.
“I’m trying hard to get my head around this,” Affum told Metro UK.
He said a friend had messaged Abiwon shortly before the accident about money owed to him for the court booking, but he did not respond, prompting concern.
Affum described Abiwon as a sports enthusiast, a talented footballer and an Arsenal supporter. He also said the deceased had graduated with a first-class degree and recently received an award at work.
“He was full of energy and talent,” Affum said.
“He was going to celebrate his 30th birthday in two weeks. It just seems impossible this has happened.”
A witness who laid flowers at the scene told Metro UK that she heard a helicopter and went outside to discover that a fallen tree had blocked the road, with a car trapped beneath it.
According to the witness, Abiwon’s girlfriend and best friend arrived while rescue operations were still underway. They were reportedly shaking as they waited, hoping he would be rescued alive.
The witness said his aunts and other relatives arrived later and were inconsolable over his death.
She described Abiwon as someone who was clearly loved by many, adding that the community had lost one of its own.
Traffic on Dollis Road was reportedly heavy at the time of the incident, as roadworks on a nearby street had diverted more vehicles onto the road.
A neighbour whose home overlooks the scene expressed concern about the circumstances, saying: “If it had been 10 minutes later, it could have been me.”
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to Dollis Road at about 12:40 p.m. on Sunday following reports that a tree had fallen onto a moving car.
The police said they were working with the local authority and coroner to establish the circumstances surrounding Abiwon’s death.
Storm Boelo brought wind gusts of up to 84 mph across parts of the United Kingdom over the weekend.
A 60-year-old man was also killed by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, while other people were injured in incidents linked to the storm.
The family of a 46-year-old businessman, Kayode Akinbolusere, popularly known as Tolufe, has raised questions over his death after he reportedly recorded a video shortly before allegedly taking his own life at his office in Igba, Ondo State.
Akinbolusere, the owner of Esther Estate in Ondo State, was said to have died on Thursday after allegedly ingesting a poisonous substance.
In a video that circulated on social media before his death, the businessman spoke about his struggles and said he was leaving his properties to his wife, Esther, and their three children based in Canada.
He also stated that he was making the decision voluntarily and that nobody had pressured him.
Akinbolusere said, “I am doing this video on behalf of my family. I, Akinbolusere Kayode, is doing my will on my property. I am doing this on my own; nobody put pressure on me. I woke up and left for work, leaving my family at home.”
“The first and second machines I was using at work developed a fault. I was imagining what was happening. When I started my business, I started from the scratch and was very transparent about it.”
“My wife knew how I suffered. She didn’t trouble me. I will all my properties to my wife, Akinbolusere Esther, who hails from Ekiti, and my three children who are in Canada.”
“My wife stood by me when I had nothing and never for once wronged me. She was very supportive when I had nothing, especially when I was working as a barber. I was the one who destroyed everything with carelessness.”
However, the deceased’s uncle, Femi Akinbolusere, said the family suspected that the businessman might have been forced to make the video.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Femi said the manner in which the deceased spoke about “surrendering” his property raised questions that should be investigated by security operatives.
He said, “We are grieving, please. You heard all he said laughing that he surrendered. Is that a gift to anybody? Is that a will? As if somebody was behind his seat pointing a gun at him. How can somebody say I am surrendering everything to my wife and three children?”
“If security operatives look at the voice very well, won’t they find that some people were behind making him say what he was saying? Is it not that they placed a gun behind him?”
The uncle further urged the police to examine the video and investigate the circumstances surrounding the businessman’s final moments.
“That clip is enough to give them [the police] the clue. That word ‘surrender’, doesn’t it mean that they forced him? They just killed him. Somebody was behind him telling him to say this and that and he was saying it. This is terrible.”
“All those things he was saying, did he say he shared his property? Who is telling you to surrender anything? Somebody forcing you to surrender. People should look at it. Security operatives should look at it.”
“They said he should be laughing and he was laughing. They should go and conduct an autopsy for the body. He said he offended his wife. Who is that wife? Even if he goes ahead to have another wife, does it warrant for him to be killed? That wife should be called to answer so many questions.”
However, the Ondo State Police Command said preliminary findings did not show signs of foul play.
In a statement issued on Friday, the state police spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, said the command had commenced an investigation into the suspected suicide.
According to the statement, Akinbolusere, a resident of Road 7, Housing Estate, Igba, was found dead in his office beside BOVAS Petrol Station, Igba Town, at about 3 p.m. on Thursday.
“Upon receipt of the information, police operatives attached to Bolorunduro Division visited the scene, where two empty bottles suspected to have contained Sniper insecticide were recovered from a nearby bush.”
“Preliminary findings also revealed that the deceased had allegedly recorded a video before his death, which has since circulated on social media, in which he reportedly lamented about his life struggles.”
“His remains were subsequently evacuated and deposited at the State Hospital Morgue for preservation and further examination. No foul play or visible marks of violence were observed on his body at the time of examination,” the statement said. (Punch)
The driver of a bus conveying 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted in Imo state has identified five men standing trial over the incident as the suspects who attacked his vehicle and took the passengers hostage.
Testifying as the third prosecution witness, the driver told the state high court in Mgbidi, Imo state, on Friday that he recognised the men, especially the first defendant, who allegedly approached his bus with an AK-47 rifle.
He said the same defendant later marched the 20 prospective corps members into a nearby bush after the abduction.
Another prosecution witness, identified as Light Timothy, told the court that he saw two of the defendants carrying AK-47 rifles shortly after the abduction along the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha expressway.
Timothy said he later identified the first and second defendants as members of the gang during an identification parade conducted at the state office of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Both witnesses testified at the resumed trial of five men accused of involvement in the abduction.
During cross-examination, defence counsel requested the driver’s identity card. Emeka Orafu, the presiding judge, confirmed that the photograph on the document bore a strong resemblance to the witness.
The driver’s identity card and the testimonies of both witnesses were subsequently admitted in evidence.
The defendants — Mohammed Ali, Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu, Ibrahim Jiji and Aminu Haliru — were arraigned by the DSS over the abduction of 20 prospective corps members and a civilian.
The DSS had said three of the defendants — Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida, 21; and Ali, 23, also known as Smallie Pepper — were specifically charged with kidnapping the prospective corps members.
They are accused of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking under the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
The five men were also accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of live ammunition.
The victims were abducted on October 1, when gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses conveying passengers from Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The attack occurred around 6:30 am near Umunoha in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo state.
Ten victims were rescued shortly after the incident, while the remaining abductees were freed on October 7 by a joint team of DSS, military and police operatives at Amakohia-Ubi forest in the state.
Five suspects were subsequently arrested in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14, while three other suspects reportedly escaped during the operations with gunshot wounds.
At the end of Friday’s proceedings, the judge adjourned the trial to November 3, 4, 5 and 6, 2026, for continuation of the hearing.
-
News17 hours agoSowore Hospitalised After Ekiti Incident, Disputes Police Account of Attack
-
News1 day ago
Man Arrested Over Alleged Rape, Killing of Young Girl in Imo
-
News2 days ago
Mbah Denies Alleged Order to Block Opposition Town Hall Meeting
-
News2 days ago
Amadeo Event Centre Explains NDC Event Controversy, Denies Enugu Govt Interference
-
News3 days ago
Governor Bago’s Convoy Accident Kills Four University Students, Driver
-
International3 days ago
Spain Train Crash Kills at Least 64, Leaves 80 Injured
-
Business1 day ago
Binance Halts Withdrawals After Reported $6.3bn Crypto Hack
-
News1 day ago
Tinubu Arrives in Saudi Arabia for Umrah, Set to Return Next Week
