Former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar has asked President Bola Tinubu to tell Works Minister David Umahi to step aside while investigators look into the death of 26‑year‑old Mary Habila.
Habila, a nurse attached to the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, died on June 27 in a residence linked to the minister in Ebonyi State. Atiku posted a statement on his X handle on Thursday, offered condolences and criticised how the Federal Government has handled the case.
“I have followed with deep sorrow and mounting concern the reports surrounding the death of Miss Mary Habila, a 26-year-old Nigerian from Nok, Southern Kaduna,” he said.
“First, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Habila family. No family should have to mourn a daughter taken in the prime of her life while also fighting simply to learn the truth of how she died.”
Atiku said the case needs “a credible, independent, and transparent investigation” and made clear he was not assigning blame. “Let me be clear: I make no pronouncement on anyone’s guilt or innocence. That is precisely the point. Only a credible, independent, and transparent investigation can establish the truth,” he said.
He added pressure on government to act openly: “A government’s first duty is the protection of life. Where a life is lost in circumstances touching a high official of state, the burden on government to act transparently is at its heaviest,” he said.
“President Bola Tinubu must direct the Honourable Minister of Works to step aside immediately, pending the conclusion of investigations. This is not a punishment; it is the minimum standard of public accountability in any serious democracy,” Atiku said.
He urged the police to move the probe to Force Headquarters and bring in outside experts. “The Inspector-General of Police must immediately transfer the investigation from the Ebonyi State Command to Force Headquarters, with the involvement of independent forensic experts,” he said.
“A full, independent, and internationally credible autopsy must be conducted without further delay, with the findings made public,” he said. “The family of Mary Habila must be protected from any pressure, inducement, or intimidation, and must be guaranteed unfettered access to the facts of their daughter’s death,” he added.
“The measure of a nation is how it responds when the powerful are touched by tragedy and the powerless demand truth,” he said.
The death has drawn public attention and calls for an independent inquiry. Umahi had said he supported a forensic autopsy; his lawyers asked the Ebonyi State Police Command to carry out a thorough post‑mortem before the body is released for burial, saying Habila stayed in staff accommodation, not his private home.
The family has asked an Ebonyi court to withdraw the police probe and refused an autopsy. Father Tanko Habila filed an affidavit on July 13 saying the family did not suspect foul play. Police investigations continue and no official cause has been released.
