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An ABT NEWS Exclusive Report | www.abtnews.net
Nigeria’s political and social landscapes are currently gripped by a rapidly escalating scandal following the tragic and mysterious death of 26-year-old Mary Habila. Known affectionately as Mara, the young physiotherapist was found lifeless inside the Uburu country home of the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, in Ebonyi State.
What began as a quiet tragedy has spiraled into a national controversy, fueled by allegations of a high-level cover-up, conflicting narratives regarding an autopsy, and mounting pressure on the Tinubu administration to intervene.
The Fateful Night: What Really Happened
According to available investigations, Mary Habila and a colleague, Anita Baski, both indigenes of Kaduna State, arrived at the Minister’s private residence in Ohaozara Local Government Area on June 26, 2026. The two women were reportedly employees of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and had been on a three-year secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works as the Minister’s personal physiotherapists.
The next morning, June 27, Habila was discovered dead inside the compound. The grisly details surrounding her discovery have sent shockwaves across the country. She was reportedly found naked, lifeless, and bleeding from her nose and mouth, pointing to a highly unnatural and sudden death. Witnesses and civil rights groups assert that her unclothed body was hastily carried out and placed into a waiting ambulance.
For nearly two weeks, a wall of silence surrounded the incident. Neither Minister Umahi, the Ebonyi State Police Command, nor the state government issued a public statement. It wasn’t until a July 10 investigative exposé blew the lid off the case that the public was made aware of the tragedy occurring within the corridors of power.
Why Dave Umahi is in the Eye of the Storm
The Minister of Works is currently fighting the worst public relations and legal crisis of his political career, driven by several glaring anomalies:
- The Question of Location and Purpose: Critics and opposition parties are heavily questioning why a serving cabinet minister required two young physiotherapists to be stationed at his village home, far removed from his Abuja office or any clinical facility.
- The Two-Week Silence: The failure of state authorities to promptly report a death in the home of a high-ranking official has led to accusations that the government’s default instinct was to shield its own rather than pursue justice.
- The Role of the Police Aide: Reports indicate that a serving police officer, Jonathan Bawado, who acts as Umahi’s personal assistant and former aide-de-camp, was the one who transported the young women to the residence. Activists argue that utilizing state security personnel for such personal errands warrants a separate investigation.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has officially demanded that Senator Umahi step aside from his ministerial role pending an independent probe, stating that a “murder-related scandal” of this magnitude transcends a private tragedy and becomes a severe test of public accountability.
The Outcry: Nigerians and Northern Youths React
The reaction across the nation has been explosive. On social media platforms, Nigerians are connecting this incident to past, unverified allegations of harassment leveled against the former Ebonyi governor, expressing frustration over a perceived two-tiered justice system where the political elite operate above the law.
The outrage is particularly palpable among Northern youths. Because Mary Habila hailed from Kaduna State, regional youth blocks and activists are aggressively championing her cause, demanding that their daughter’s life is not swept under the carpet by Southern political heavyweights. They are pushing back against the narrative that her death was natural, insisting that the circumstances, specifically the state her body was found in, scream of foul play.
The public fury reached a boiling point when it was announced that Habila’s family intends to bury her tomorrow, Friday, July 17, 2026. Nigerians are kicking vehemently against the burial proceeding without a transparent, independently verified autopsy, fearing that committing her to the earth will bury the evidence along with her.
The Current Situation
Senator Umahi’s camp has vehemently denied any foul play. Through his aides, the Minister expressed profound shock over the death, stating that he personally received the deceased’s parents to offer condolences. Umahi maintains that he actively advised the family to consent to an autopsy to clear the air, but claims the family themselves declined the procedure.
Currently, the case has been transferred from the local Ohaozara Police Division to the Ebonyi State Police Command. However, public trust in a localized police investigation remains abysmal.
Human rights groups, including the Disability Rights Protection Initiative led by Chikwado Chukwu, alongside major opposition parties, are now directly petitioning President Bola Tinubu. They are demanding a fully independent inquiry, completely insulated from executive influence, to determine the exact cause of Mary Habila’s death. Until those medical and forensic facts are laid bare, the shadows lingering over the Minister’s Uburu mansion will continue to darken.
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