Minister of Works David Umahi has formally requested the Ebonyi State Police Command to conduct an autopsy on Mary Habila, the nurse who died at his residence in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Gatekeepers News reports that Umahi also urged the police not to release Habila’s body to her family until the post-mortem examination is completed, saying the procedure is necessary to determine the actual cause and circumstances of her death.
The request was contained in a letter dated July 15 and signed by the minister’s counsel, Roy Nwaeze, to the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police.
Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, died on June 27 while serving with the minister’s medical team.
Her death has attracted widespread public attention, with several groups calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
On Thursday, the Ebonyi State Police Command announced that it would proceed with an autopsy despite objections from members of the deceased’s family.
Umahi seeks forensic examination
In the letter, Nwaeze said the minister requested that the police carry out a comprehensive autopsy to scientifically and independently determine the cause and circumstances of Habila’s death.
He clarified that the deceased did not live in the same building as Umahi but stayed in a separate staff quarters within the minister’s residential compound, designated for employees and other personnel working with him.
According to the lawyer, only Habila and another female physiotherapist occupied the staff building on the night she died.
“Our Client informed us that Miss Mary Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State, who was on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works, Mabushi, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, died on 27th June 2026 in a building situated within our Client’s residence at Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State,” the letter read.
“Notably, the deceased did not reside in the same building as our Client. Rather, the building is exclusively designated for members of our Client’s staff and other persons working with him.
“On the night of her death, the deceased and another lady, a physiotherapist, were the only occupants of the building.”
Nwaeze said the request to retain the body pending an autopsy was made in the interest of justice, transparency and the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
He added that a forensic examination would help dispel speculation surrounding the incident and ensure that any findings are based on scientific evidence.
“In view of the circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased, and in the interest of justice, transparency, and the due administration of criminal justice, our Client respectfully requests that the Nigeria Police Force cause a comprehensive autopsy to be conducted on the remains of the deceased by qualified forensic pathologists for the purpose of scientifically and independently ascertaining the actual cause and circumstances of her death,” the letter stated.
