Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on Thursday, revealed details of the final conversation between the late nurse, Habila, and her boyfriend, saying she pleaded with the man not to end their phone call moments before her death after complaining of persistent nose bleeding.
Umahi, who broke his silence over the circumstances surrounding the death of the Federal Medical University staff member, dismissed allegations linking him or his residence to the incident, insisting the deceased was “like a daughter” to him and had lived with his family for three years.
The minister added that contrary to media reports, Habila was a registered nurse and not a physiotherapist, and had a history of medical treatment at a Turkish hospital, where he said her medical expenses were covered by his family.
Recounting the events leading to her death, Umahi said the deceased nurse called her boyfriend shortly before she died, informing him that she was bleeding from the nose.
Umahi said, “She spoke to her boyfriend at the hour of her death and complained that she was bleeding from the nose. The boyfriend advised her to report the situation and suggested that continuing the phone conversation could worsen the bleeding.
“He then told her he would end the call, but she pleaded with him, saying, ‘Don’t cut the call.’ He eventually ended the call, and when he called back about three minutes later, she was no longer responding.”
He further disclosed that earlier that morning, Habila had informed her boyfriend she was about to take a bath.
“When people later became concerned because she wasn’t responding, they forced the door open and found the tap still running,” he said.
Umahi said the deceased had been receiving medical treatment at a Turkish hospital, adding that her latest hospital visit was on April 5 and cost about N2.2 million, which he personally paid.
“The medical records are there. She had been undergoing treatment, and the records speak for themselves,” he said.
Dismissing claims of foul play, the minister said Habila and another female medical worker were staying in a guest house located far from where he was lodged, stressing that attempts to portray the incident as suspicious were politically motivated.
“I don’t suspect any foul play,” he said. “She was one of my best workers, a nurse who administered medication to us, even at my residence in Asokoro. It is painful because she was like a daughter to me.”
The Minister also appealed to the deceased’s family to allow an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
He said the family had initially objected to the procedure on cultural grounds but insisted that an autopsy was necessary in the interest of establishing the facts.
“I am begging the family to meet with the Inspector-General of Police so they can be convinced to allow the autopsy. We have directed that the body should not be released until that is done,” he said.
The minister disclosed that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to ensure transparency.
He also directed investigators to obtain the call logs of both the deceased and her boyfriend to verify their final conversation.
Umahi condemned what he described as attempts to politicise the nurse’s death and warned against the spread of misinformation.
