Nurse died after telling boyfriend of nosebleed, minister says

Minister of Works, David Umahi, revealed that Mary Habila, the nurse who died in a guest house on his property, spoke with her boyfriend the night before her death. During the conversation, Habila complained of a nosebleed, which her boyfriend advised her to report to her boss. She later informed him the bleeding had stopped. The boyfriend ended the call so she could rest, but when he called back a few minutes later, she was unresponsive.

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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, described by Umahi as "like a daughter," was a nurse at the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences in Uburu, Ebonyi State. She had been employed there for three years and was staying in a guest house separate from the minister's residence. She was found dead in her room the following morning by colleagues who became concerned after failing to reach her.

Umahi clarified that Habila was a nurse, not a physiotherapist as previously reported. He has instructed his lawyers to request an autopsy to ascertain the cause of her death, emphasizing that the body should not be released for burial until the procedure is completed. He noted that the parents have objected to the autopsy, citing cultural reasons.

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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.

The minister also disclosed that Habila had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition at Turkish Hospital in Abuja, with his family covering the expenses. The last hospital bill, amounting to approximately N2.2 million, was settled on April 5. Umahi has reported the incident to the Inspector-General of Police and requested the investigation be transferred to Abuja.

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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.