Nearly three weeks after the death of Mary Habila, a 26-year-old nurse who died at the Ebonyi residence of Minister of Works David Umahi, her family is demanding the release of her remains for burial.
The family’s lawyer, Kaile Yusuf, made the appeal on Friday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, asking the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene in the matter.
Yusuf said the family had fulfilled all requirements set by the police to retrieve the body, but the remains had remained in official custody.
Habila, who worked with the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, died on June 27 while attached to the minister’s medical team.
The lawyer said the family approached the police to clarify reports about Habila’s identity and profession, insisting that she was a trained nurse and a civil servant. He said documents, including her appointment letter and salary records, confirmed her employment history, while accusing some individuals of attempting to politicise the circumstances surrounding her death.
Yusuf added that the family had petitioned the IGP against the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police and was seeking immediate release of the body. He also disclosed that the family had rejected requests for an autopsy, citing personal, cultural and traditional reasons.
Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, appealed for the release of his daughter’s remains, saying the family’s priority was to bury her.
The family said it was not accusing anyone over her death, but the Ebonyi State Police Command and David Umahi have maintained that an autopsy must be conducted to establish the cause of death before the body is released.
The dispute over the post-mortem examination remains unresolved.
