Nurse who died at Minister Umahi's home had a hole in her heart, family reveals cause of death

• Mary Habila's family says she lived with a congenital heart condition described as a hole in her heart.

• The family said she died following a cardiac arrest after her condition became critical.

• Her death at David Umahi's residence had previously sparked calls for a post-mortem examination.

The family of Mary Habila, the 25-year-old nurse whose death at the Ebonyi State residence of Minister of Works David Umahi sparked nationwide controversy in June, has revealed that she lived with a congenital heart condition and died following a cardiac arrest.

The disclosure was made through a biography contained in her burial programme, released ahead of her interment in her hometown of Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State on August 21.

"Mary Habila lived with a heart condition, having been diagnosed with a hole in her heart. Though she faced significant health challenges, she carried herself with courage, faith, and quiet resilience. Despite medical care and the prayers and support of her family and loved ones, her condition became critical. She sadly passed away following a cardiac arrest," the biography read.

The statement marked the first time the family publicly stated what they believed caused her death, coming months after they had resisted calls for a post-mortem examination.

Habila was found unresponsive at Umahi's residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on June 27, 2026, and was brought dead to the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital. Her death attracted widespread public attention after details of the circumstances surrounding it emerged weeks later.

The Ebonyi State Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently raised questions about the case in legal advice dated July 15, noting that Habila had been found naked on the floor of her apartment with blood around her nose and mouth, and that these circumstances could only be resolved through an autopsy.

Umahi himself requested that police conduct a post-mortem examination and asked that her remains be withheld from the family until it was completed. The family opposed the examination, triggering a prolonged standoff that delayed her burial.

Born on September 18, 2000, Habila trained as a Community Health Extension Worker and worked at Favoured Ground Clinic in Lafia, Nasarawa State, before moving to a pharmacy in Gwarinpa, Abuja. She later became a personal nurse to Umahi after meeting him through her work in Abuja.

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She was raised in the Deeper Life Bible Church, where her father serves as a pastor, and was described by her family as sincere, respectful and deeply loved by those around her.

The family's statement appears to effectively exonerate Umahi from any involvement in her death, though the DPP's questions regarding the circumstances in which she was found remain publicly unanswered.