Minister of Works David Umahi has denied allegations linking him to the death of Mary Habila, warning against what he described as attempts to politicise the incident.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi said that if he or any member of his family was responsible for Habila’s death, they should bear the consequences. However, he urged those making what he called unfounded allegations to avoid exploiting the tragedy 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.
Umahi described Habila as a trusted member of his team for about three years, saying she was like a daughter to him and that he had personally funded her medical treatment on several occasions.
He alleged that a photograph of Habila circulating online was taken at the mortuary after her body had been moved there, claiming it created a misleading impression. Umahi also appealed to her family to allow an autopsy despite reported cultural objections, requested that the Inspector-General of Police transfer the investigation to Abuja, and urged investigators to examine Habila’s phone conversations with her boyfriend. He maintained there was no evidence of foul play and called on Nigerians to allow police investigations to run their course.
