By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria) has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, pending the outcome of an independent investigation into the death of physiotherapist Mary Habila at the minister’s country residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State.

The demand was contained in a statement signed by **FENRAD Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, who described the incident as one requiring a transparent and evidence-based investigation. According to the group, “only an independent, transparent, and evidence-based investigation can establish the facts surrounding the unfortunate incident and restore public confidence.” FENRAD further urged the President to “immediately suspend the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, from office pending the conclusion of an independent and credible investigation,” stressing that “such action would not amount to a finding of guilt but would demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the investigative process.”

The rights organisation said several unanswered questions had emerged following the incident, including issues highlighted in a widely circulated publication titled “Death in Uburu: The Questions David Umahi Must Answer.”

According to FENRAD, the issues include the circumstances surrounding the deceased’s presence at the minister’s residence, the reported secondment of physiotherapists from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works, the nature of their assignments, and the need for an independent autopsy.

It maintained that “these are serious issues that deserve credible answers through lawful investigation rather than speculation.”

The organisation called for the immediate establishment of an independent investigative panel comprising representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations, forensic experts and other relevant professional bodies.

It also demanded a comprehensive forensic investigation, preservation of all physical and electronic evidence, protection for witnesses and public disclosure of the investigation’s findings, with prosecution of anyone found culpable regardless of status or political affiliation.

FENRAD urged women’s rights organisations, civil society groups, labour unions, professional associations and faith-based organisations to support calls for justice.

According to the group, “the suspicious death involving a young Nigerian woman deserves serious attention, accountability, and a transparent process that assures the public that justice will prevail.”

While insisting that every Nigerian life is sacred, the organisation also stressed that investigations must respect constitutional safeguards.

FENRAD noted that “every investigation must respect the constitutional principle that individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” adding that the pursuit of justice “is not about personalities or politics” but about protecting the sanctity of human life, strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring equal justice under the law.

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