Family affirms Habila died from heart-related condition

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has filed a N2.5 billion defamation suit against Stella Ifeoma Okengwu, media practitioner, Linda Ikeji, and Linda Ikeji TV Limited.

The suit, marked GWD/CV/264/26, was filed on August 24, 2026, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja Judicial Division.

According to the case summary, Umahi alleges that the defendants published statements and videos about him between March 2025 and March 2026, which he considers false, malicious and defamatory.

The claimant alleged that the publications accused him of bribery, corruption, intimidation, sexual misconduct, land grabbing and being unfit for public office.

Umahi, through his lawyers, had reportedly demanded that the defendants remove the publications and issue an unreserved public apology. The case summary states that the defendants did not comply with the demand.

In the suit, Umahi is asking the court to declare the publications defamatory and order the defendants to remove them from their social media platforms and other media outlets.

He is also seeking an order directing the defendants to issue a public apology and an injunction restraining them from publishing what he describes as false and defamatory materials against him.

The minister is seeking N500 million in general damages, N2 billion in exemplary damages and N500 million as the cost of the suit, according to the case summary.

He is also asking the court to award post-judgment interest at 10 per cent yearly until any judgment sum is fully paid.

The suit was filed through a team of lawyers led by A. J. Owonikoko, SAN, and other senior advocates of Nigeria from Synergy Attorneys.

MEANWHILE, the family of Mary Habila, a female nurse who died at the residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Ebonyi State, has finally revealed her cause of death.

Ms Habila, who was attached to Umahi, was brought dead to the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Uburu, Ebonyi State, on June 27.  She was buried at her hometown in Nok, Jaba Local Council Area of Kaduna State on Friday, August 21.

Before now, many Nigerians had suggested that Habila’s death was unnatural given the circumstances surrounding it. This prompted calls from many Nigerians for an autopsy, which was rejected by the family. This made it impossible to determine the actual cause of death.

However, in their first public comment on the cause of death, the family said, in a tribute published in her burial brochure, that Habila was earlier diagnosed with a hole in her heart and had battled heart-related challenges.

“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,” the family said in the tribute.
The family stressed that her “condition became critical” despite medical care, prayers and support from her relatives and loved ones.

“She sadly passed away following a cardiac arrest, leaving behind a deep void in the hearts of all who knew and loved her,” they said.

The family did not mention how they arrived at the fact that the female nurse died of cardiac arrest.