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Video does not show Mary Habila’s father accusing David Umahi of threat

Nurudeen Akewushola
Nurudeen Akewushola
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screenshot of the viral post

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A VIDEO circulating on social media claims to show the father of Mary Habila, the 26-year-old physiotherapist who died at the residence of Nigeria’s minister of works, David Umahi, accusing the minister of threatening him.

An X user, @SadiqMaunde, shared the video with the caption:

“The father of the lady who died in David Umahi’s house said that Umahi is threatening him. Listen for yourselves. Omo.”

As of August 11, 2026, the post had generated over 2,800 reposts and more than 4,900 likes.

CLAIM

Video shows Mary Habila’s father accusing David Umahi of threatening him.

screenshot of the viral post showing Tabara Samuel Kato, the National President of SOKAPU not habila’s father

FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Mary Habila, a 26-year-old physiotherapist, died on June 27, 2026, at the residence of Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ebonyi State, southeastern Nigeria. Her death sparked controversy, with calls for an investigation and autopsy to determine the circumstances and cause of death. Umahi has denied any wrongdoing.

In an affidavit filed before the Ebonyi state high court, Habila’s father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, rejected an autopsy and requested the release of his daughter’s body for burial. He stated that the family did not suspect foul play and did not wish to pursue further investigations into her death.

The controversy continued after the Southern Kaduna Peoples United Associations (SOKAPU), a socio-cultural organisation representing the people of Southern Kaduna, filed a lawsuit seeking an independent investigation into Habila’s death. The association also sought N20 billion in damages.

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the man speaking in the viral video is SOKAPU’s national president Tabara Samuel Kato, and not Habila’s father.

Kato made the remarks during an emergency press conference on July 28, 2026, following SOKAPU’s lawsuit seeking an investigation into Habila’s death. According to the association, Umahi contacted Kato via WhatsApp that morning after learning of the lawsuit and a television interview Kato had granted. SOKAPU alleged that the minister threatened Kato in connection with the lawsuit.

Kato alleged that Umahi made the following remarks before ending the call: “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 of your life such that you will learn never to mess with person like me. I will give you 10 lawsuits. People are mourning and there you are taking me to court. I will deal with you!”

These claims were made by Kato and SOKAPU and, on their own, do not establish that Umahi made the alleged threats.

The viral post therefore misidentifies Kato as Habila’s father, creating the false impression that the deceased’s father was the person accusing Umahi of making threats. Available reports show that Habila’s father instead rejected an autopsy, withdrew from further investigation and requested that his daughter’s body be released for burial.

VERDICT

The claim that the video shows Mary Habila’s father accusing David Umahi of threatening him is FALSE. The man in the video is Tabara Samuel Kato, SOKAPU’s national president, who made the allegations against Umahi during a press conference over Habila’s death. Habila’s father is Tanko Habila Wisdom.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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