The mystery surrounding the death of a young woman, identified as Habbila, inside a residence belonging to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has deepened following the transfer of the case to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Abakaliki.
A police source confirmed that the investigation had been moved from the initial division handling the matter to the State CID, signalling that detectives are intensifying efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abakaliki,” the police officer confirmed, declining to provide further details on the grounds that the investigation is still ongoing.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to disclose the exact cause of Habbila’s death. It also remained unclear whether an autopsy had been conducted or whether investigators had established if any criminal offence was committed.
Questions also remain over the circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether Senator Umahi was present at his country home when the tragedy occurred. SaharaReporters said it could not independently verify the minister’s whereabouts at the time.
Efforts to obtain official reactions from individuals linked to the minister’s office yielded little response. Jonathan Bawado, Personal Assistant to the Minister of Works, declined to comment on the incident.
“I am a police officer. I am not supposed to talk to the press,” he said.
Similarly, the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Hope Urunwa Okafor, did not respond to calls seeking clarification on the matter.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, told SaharaReporters he was unaware of the incident but requested that details be forwarded to him via text message for verification.
Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant on Media to Senator Umahi, reportedly ended a telephone conversation immediately after learning that the inquiry related to the young woman’s death. Professor Chihurumnanya Alo, who was also contacted for comments, did not respond to calls.
Neither the Ebonyi State Police Command nor the Federal Ministry of Works has issued an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding Habbila’s death or the progress of the investigation.
With investigators remaining tight-lipped, the events that unfolded between the young woman’s arrival at the minister’s residence and the discovery of her lifeless body the following morning continue to fuel public curiosity and demand for answers.
The transfer of the case to the State CID is expected to pave the way for a more comprehensive investigation as authorities work to determine the cause of death and establish whether any criminal liability exists.