Outrage Erupts Over Mary Habila's Death: Family Demands Probe Amidst Body Detention Controversy

The death of Miss Mary Habila, a member of the medical support team attached to the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has sparked calls for a thorough investigation while also drawing appeals for calm and restraint. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, expressed profound sadness over Habila’s death, describing it as a national tragedy. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Ezechi Chukwu, the group extended condolences to her family and urged Nigerians to allow investigators to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, emphasizing that the matter deserves to be treated with utmost dignity and compassion.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo strongly cautioned political actors, pressure groups, and commentators against politicizing the unfortunate event, asserting that matters involving the loss of human life should not be exploited for political advantage. The organization noted that Minister Umahi had publicly called for a comprehensive forensic autopsy and investigation to establish the true cause and circumstances of Miss Habila’s death, a position it encouraged as responsible. Ohanaeze Ndigbo fully supports an impartial, professional, and transparent investigation, with outcomes guided solely by facts, scientific evidence, and due process.

Furthermore, Ohanaeze Ndigbo deemed calls for the Minister of Works to resign or step aside as premature, unnecessary, and lacking sufficient justification at this stage. It reiterated that the mere occurrence of a death within an individual's premises does not automatically establish culpability, and responsibility can only be determined through a credible, evidence-based investigation, in line with Nigeria's rule of law and the principle of presumed innocence.

However, the investigation has faced complexities regarding the handling of Miss Habila's remains. Mary Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works, died on June 27, 2026, under circumstances reported to the police. Preliminary findings from the Ebonyi State Police Command indicated that she and a colleague were part of the minister's medical team and that she died in a room within the compound of his residence in Uburu.

Despite the police's intent to conduct a post-mortem examination, Miss Habila’s family, through her father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, swore an affidavit before the High Court of Justice of Ebonyi State on July 13, 2026. In this affidavit, the family stated they did not suspect any foul play in her death and would not consent to an autopsy, appealing for the immediate release of her body for burial and requesting no further police investigation, affirming this decision was voluntary and without coercion.

The Ebonyi State Police Command, however, has maintained its stance on continuing the investigation. On July 15, 2026, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed that the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a comprehensive investigation. The command acknowledged the family's opposition to an autopsy but stressed its necessity “given the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death.” Detectives had reportedly visited the scene and obtained statements from relevant persons.

The disagreement escalated with the family's solicitors, K.A. Yusuf & Associates, petitioning the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, on July 17, 2026. The petition alleged that despite repeated applications and compliance with lawful requirements, the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police continued to refuse to authorize the release of Habila’s body, which has allegedly remained in police custody at a designated mortuary. The family argued that the prolonged withholding of the body has caused “immense emotional, psychological, financial and cultural hardship,” depriving them of customary and religious burial rites. They contended that the continued detention of the corpse without lawful justification is arbitrary, oppressive, and inconsistent with justice and human dignity.

The family's petition requested the IGP to intervene by transferring the investigation from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, directing the immediate release of the body for burial, investigating any officer found to have acted unlawfully, and issuing other necessary directives to ensure justice. This ongoing dispute between Miss Habila’s family and the Ebonyi State Police Command highlights the complexities surrounding the investigation into her death, setting the stage for potential intervention from the nation’s top police authority to resolve the impasse over the investigation and release of her remains.