Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung has rejected claims about the background of the late Mary Habila, saying information he gathered suggests the widely circulated narrative is inaccurate.
Speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Dalung said he made personal inquiries with people who knew Habila in an effort to better understand the circumstances surrounding her life and death. He stressed the need to protect the reputation of the deceased until verified facts are established.
“The story about her was that she was a street girl picked up from Kaduna,” Dalung said, adding that his findings contradicted the claim.
According to Dalung, Habila was a trained nurse from Kaduna State who secured employment through legitimate channels. He said she worked at the Federal University of Health Sciences before later being assigned to the office of the Minister of Works.
Dalung called for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death, saying unanswered questions have fueled public concern. He urged the public to focus on verified facts rather than unsubstantiated claims, noting that his remarks were based on his personal inquiries and have not been independently verified.
