Family says Mary Habila had hole in her heart, died of cardiac arrest
The family of Mary Habila, the nurse whose death at the Ebonyi State residence of Works Minister David Umahi sparked weeks of controversy, says she died of cardiac arrest linked to a pre-existing heart condition.
Habila, who worked with Umahi, was rushed dead to David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital in Uburu on June 27. She was buried in her hometown of Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on August 21, nearly two months after her death.
Speculation had trailed the circumstances of her death, with many Nigerians pushing for an autopsy that her family ultimately declined, leaving the true cause unconfirmed for weeks.
In a tribute published in her burial brochure, the family disclosed for the first time that Habila had long lived with a diagnosed hole in her heart and had quietly battled the condition. According to the tribute, relatives said her health “became critical” despite treatment, prayers and family support before she suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.
The family did not explain how the cause of death was determined, and it remains unverified whether any medical examination beyond the disputed autopsy request was carried out before burial.
