As efforts to unravel the mystery behind the death of Kaduna-born Physiotherapist, Mary Habila right inside a room in one of the residential buildings of Works Minister, Engr. David Umahi in his Uburu country home appear to have hit the brick walls, Umahi’s Legal Team and the Police have remained hellbent in their push for a post-mortem examination.
Even as members of the bereaved family who were on hand to take the remains of their daughter home for burial are opposed to the idea, Umahi’s lawyers have insisted that an autopsy be conducted on Mary Habila’s dead body, before her remains will be released for burial.
In a petition to the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, the lawyers have urged the police to conduct an autopsy on the late Mary Habila before her remains are released.
The letter dated July 15, 2026, which was also acknowledged by the Ebonyi State Police Command same day, quotes the law firm, Roy & Associates, as saying that it was acting on the instruction of the minister.
The petition recalled that Habila who was a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, was on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works, before she died on June 27, 2026, in a staff residential building located within Umahi’s residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The lawyers explained that the deceased did not reside in the same building as the minister. They said the building was designated for members of Umahi’s staff and other personnel working with him.
They further stated that on the night of her death, only Habila and another female occupant, also identified as a physiotherapist, were in the building.
The legal team urged the police to ensure that a comprehensive autopsy was conducted by qualified forensic pathologists, to scientifically determine the actual cause and circumstances of Habila’s death.
They also requested that Habila’s remains should not be released to anyone, including her next of kin, until the autopsy and all other relevant investigative procedures have been completed.
According to the lawyers, the request is aimed at preserving the integrity of the ongoing investigation, eliminating speculation, and ensuring that the true cause of Habila’s death is conclusively established before her burial.
In the face of the raging controversy, the Police in Ebonyi State says it awaits the family of late Miss Mary Habila to enable them carry out a post-mortem examination as part of its ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
A statement issued recently by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, clarified that the Command received a distress call on June 27, 2026, from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohaozara Division, reporting a medical emergency involving the deceased and requesting his presence at the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu.
According to the statement, “upon arrival at the hospital, the DPO was informed by medical personnel that Miss Habila had been brought in dead.”
On receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), for a comprehensive investigation.
Meanwhile, the Police said preliminary findings revealed that the deceased and a colleague were members of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, and had accompanied him to his hometown in Uburu, where she reportedly died in a room within the compound of his residence.
The Command also said that detectives have since visited the scene, obtained statements from relevant persons, and commenced a full-scale investigation into the incident.
It added that arrangements were underway to engage the services of a pathologist to conduct a post-mortem examination to determine the actual cause of death and aid the ongoing investigation.
However, the Police noted that the Miss Habila’s family members had remained stiff in their opposition to the idea of an autopsy, insisting that they did not want it carried out.
But the Police maintained that an autopsy remained necessary because of the sensitive nature of the case and the need to establish the true cause of the death.
The Command said it awaits the presence of Miss Habila’s family members or their duly appointed representative, insisting that their presence is essential for the conduct of the post-mortem examination.
It assured the public of a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation and pledged to give further updates as the investigation continues.
Available records at the time, indicate that Miss Habila’s remains would be laid to rest in her home town, NOK, Kaduna State, on Friday July 17, 2026.
