Physiotherapy society disputes claims on Mary Habila’s professional status

The Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) has stated that Mary Habila, the young woman whose death at the Ebonyi residence of Minister of Works, David Umahi, is under investigation, is not listed in its database of registered physiotherapists.

The development casts fresh attention on earlier claims by the minister’s team that Habila was a physiotherapist employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, and seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the NSP said it conducted a verification of Habila’s credentials through the appropriate regulatory channels and found no record of her registration as a physiotherapist.

“Following verification through the appropriate regulatory channels, the name ‘Mary Habila,’ as stated, does not appear on the database of registered physiotherapists,” the society said.

The professional body stressed the importance of verifying credentials before publicly identifying individuals as members of regulated professions.

According to the NSP, professional status should be determined through established regulatory processes and not based on assumptions or unverified information.

The association noted that public officials have a responsibility to ensure that information released to the public is accurate and verifiable, particularly when it relates to regulated professions.

It added that maintaining the integrity of professional practice requires strict adherence to recognised standards for certification and registration.

“Professional identity is not a matter of assumption or public perception; it is a matter of verifiable fact. Where questions arise, they should be resolved through the appropriate regulatory processes,” the statement said.

The society urged stakeholders and members of the public to rely on verified information in discussing the case and other matters involving professional qualifications.

Despite the clarification, the NSP expressed sympathy to Habila’s family and loved ones, describing her death as a tragic loss.

The association said the controversy surrounding her professional status should not distract from the need to show compassion to those affected by her death.

The statement comes days after Umahi, through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, identified Habila and her colleague, Anita Baaki, as physiotherapists employed by DUFUHS and seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works.

According to the minister’s earlier statement, both women had worked with the ministry in that capacity for about three years before Habila’s death.

Habila died on June 27 at a facility within the minister’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Her death has generated widespread public interest, prompting calls for a transparent investigation and a forensic autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The Ebonyi State Police Command has since transferred the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department and insists that a post-mortem examination remains crucial to ongoing efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.