Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has accused the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, of making threatening telephone calls to its National President, Engineer Tabara Samuel Kato, in an apparent attempt to intimidate the group over its lawsuit seeking an independent investigation into the death of 26-year-old nurse Mary Habila. The allegation, made public on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, during an emergency press conference in Kaduna, has escalated a simmering legal and political battle over the circumstances surrounding Habila's death at Umahi's country home in Uburu, Ebonyi State, on June 27, 2026.
According to SOKAPU, Umahi contacted Kato via WhatsApp at approximately 9:39 a.m. on Tuesday after learning about the lawsuit and a Channels Television interview the SOKAPU president had granted on Sunday. Kato alleged that the minister identified himself before issuing a string of threats. "I am David Umahi, the Honourable Minister of Works. I saw your suit against me. You need money, right? I will teach you a lesson you will never forget. I will give you 10 lawsuits. People are mourning and you are taking me to court. I will deal with you," Kato quoted the minister as saying before the call ended.
SOKAPU condemned the alleged remarks, describing them as an attempt to intimidate its leadership and discourage the organisation from pursuing justice over Habila's death. "Our decision to seek judicial intervention and file a suit is entirely within the bounds of the Nigerian Constitution and is meant to protect the dignity and rights of our people. No intimidation will work in this matter," the association said in a statement. The group reiterated its demand for a proper, independent autopsy to clear all doubts surrounding the circumstances of Habila's death, rather than a hurried burial without proper medical answers. SOKAPU also called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, the Inspector-General of Police, and other security agencies to take note of the alleged threats against its leadership.
The allegations come days after SOKAPU filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Kaduna State High Court against Umahi, the Attorney-General of Ebonyi State, the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, and Habila's father, Mr. Habila Tanko Wisdom. In the suit, marked KDH/KAF/26/2026, the association is seeking an independent forensic autopsy by pathologists from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; the University College Hospital, Ibadan; and the National Hospital, Abuja. SOKAPU is also seeking a court order directing the Nigeria Police Force to conduct a comprehensive investigation before Habila's body is released for burial. In addition, the association is claiming ₦20 billion in damages against Umahi, arguing that the minister owed Habila a duty of care while she was under his custody and supervision.
SOKAPU has defended its demand for ₦20 billion in compensation, insisting the claim is not a declaration of guilt against anyone but a legal remedy that would only become relevant if investigations establish criminal wrongdoing. Speaking on Channels Television's The Morning Brief on Monday, July 27, Tabara said: "We are seeking an investigation, and if the investigation proves that there is a need for legal action, we go ahead with the legal action. It is not for us to categorically say that the minister is complicit or not, and this is the one reason why an investigation should be conducted to lay to rest every element of doubt". He explained that the compensation figure was intended to cover damages that could arise if the courts eventually determine that criminal negligence or any other unlawful act contributed to Habila's death.
SOKAPU has also dismissed claims that the culture and traditions of Southern Kaduna forbid autopsies. In the suit, the union argued that "there is no custom, tradition or Christian doctrine in Southern Kaduna that forbids an autopsy," particularly where a death occurs under suspicious, controversial or unexplained circumstances. The union stated: "The attempt to hide under culture to resist a scientific determination of the cause of Mary Habila's death is unacceptable and must not be allowed to stand". Tabara also disclosed that he had personally reached out to Habila's father, who referred him to the family's lawyer. According to Tabara, the lawyer informed him that the family had resolved not to permit an autopsy. Despite that position, Tabara argued that the Commissioner of Police has jurisdiction to investigate suspected criminal matters regardless of whether the people involved want it or not.
The lawsuit followed growing controversy over Habila's death, which has attracted nationwide attention. Mary Habila, a nurse attached to the medical team of the Minister of Works, died on June 27 while at Umahi's residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Since then, conflicting accounts surrounding her death have fuelled public outrage and widespread demands for a transparent investigation. The Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that an autopsy would be conducted despite reported opposition from some members of the deceased's family. Umahi has also written to the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police requesting that an autopsy be carried out as part of efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding the nurse's death.
The minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has insisted that a transparent investigation is necessary. In earlier statements, Umahi described Habila as "like a daughter" and dismissed allegations linking him to the incident as "politics taken too far". Police authorities in Abuja have since taken over the investigation from the Ebonyi State Police Command, while Habila's body has been moved to the National Hospital, Abuja, for a forensic autopsy.
As the legal battle intensifies, SOKAPU has made it clear that it will not be deterred by the alleged threats. The association's insistence on an independent autopsy, its demand for ₦20 billion in damages, and its decision to name the minister as a defendant in the suit have set the stage for one of the most closely watched legal confrontations involving a sitting minister in recent years. The outcome of the case will not only determine the truth surrounding Mary Habila's death but could also have far-reaching implications for the relationship between the executive branch and civil society organisations in Nigeria. For now, the family of the deceased, the Southern Kaduna community, and the nation at large await the next chapter in a saga that has already exposed deep fault lines of justice, accountability, and political power.
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