The death of Mary Habila on June 27 at the residence of Minister of Works Senator David Umahi in Uburu, Ebonyi State, has raised questions that are becoming increasingly difficult to answer, with a new contradiction from the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy complicating the situation further.
Habila’s death has attracted widespread public attention since it occurred. A police investigation is ongoing, and authorities have stated that a forensic autopsy must be completed before her body can be released to her family for burial. The cause of her death and the circumstances remain officially unestablished.
What Umahi’s Office Said
In the days following her death, Senator Umahi’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, released a statement describing who Mary Habila was and her role in the minister’s professional circle. According to the statement, Habila and another woman named Anita Baski were physiotherapists employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences in Uburu. The minister’s office said they had been secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works in that capacity for the past three years. 
“It is important to clarify that Miss Mary Habila and Miss Anita Baski are employees of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, who had been on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works as physiotherapists for the past three years until the unfortunate passing of Miss Habila,” the statement read.
This claim was specific and detailed, portraying Habila as a qualified health professional working within a legitimate institutional framework. The framing is significant, given the public scrutiny surrounding her death.
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What the NSP Found
The Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy challenged that claim.
In a statement from its Public Relations Team, the professional body stated it had verified Habila’s credentials through the appropriate regulatory channels, with a clear result.
“Following verification through the appropriate regulatory channels, the name ‘Mary Habila,’ as stated, does not appear on the database of registered physiotherapists,” the NSP stated.
Physiotherapy in Nigeria is a regulated profession. Practitioners must complete recognised training, meet regulatory standards, and be officially registered to be rightly described as physiotherapists. The checked database is the mechanism for establishing and tracking that legitimacy. But her name was not found.
What the NSP Said About the Broader Issue
The society addressed the larger principle involved.
“This development underscores why it is essential that public officials exercise due diligence before presenting or associating individuals with regulated professions. Public office carries a responsibility to ensure that information presented to Nigerians is accurate and verifiable,” the NSP said.
It also emphasised that professional identity should not be based on assumptions or perceptions. “Professional identity isn’t a matter of assumption or public perception; it is a matter of verifiable fact. Where questions arise, they should be resolved through the appropriate regulatory processes, not through speculation or unverified claims,” the statement added.
While clarifying its position, the society acknowledged the core issue; a woman who died under circumstances that are yet to be fully explained.
“While it is important to establish the facts, we must not lose sight of the human tragedy at the heart of this matter,” the NSP said, extending condolences to Habila’s family and friends.
SEE ALSO: The Death of Mary Habila at Minister Umahi’s Ebonyi Home: What We Know So Far
Where Things Stand
The contradiction is now officially on record. Umahi’s office claimed Mary Habila was a registered physiotherapist on secondment. Conversely, the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy states that her name does not appear in the database of registered practitioners.
Both cannot be true. Either she was registered under different credentials than those searched, or she was not a registered physiotherapist at all, meaning the characterisation made by the minister’s office is inaccurate.
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