Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has formally requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation into the death of Mary Habila, a nurse who died on June 27, 2026, at his residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, insisting that a transparent and credible inquiry is essential to establish the truth and restore public confidence in the process. Umahi, who has publicly described the deceased as "like a daughter" to him and disclosed that he personally funded her medical treatment for an underlying health condition, made the request during a press conference in Abuja, where he also dismissed allegations linking him to the incident as unfounded and politically motivated. The minister's call for a transfer of the investigation comes as the Ebonyi State Police Command insists on conducting a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death, despite strong objections from Habila's family, who have rejected the autopsy on cultural and personal grounds and are demanding the immediate release of her body for burial.
Habila, a 26-year-old nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, and seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, died in a building located within Umahi's residential compound in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. According to police accounts, the Ebonyi State Police Command received a distress call on June 27 from the Divisional Police Officer in Ohaozara, reporting a medical emergency involving Habila at the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu. On arrival, the DPO was informed that Habila had been brought in dead, and the case was subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for thorough investigation. Preliminary findings indicate that Habila and a colleague were part of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works and had accompanied him to his hometown, where she died in a room within the compound of his residence.
Speaking publicly for the first time on the matter, Umahi described Habila as a dedicated staff member who had lived with his family for about three years and had been battling an underlying medical condition for which he had personally funded her treatment. He disclosed that the latest medical bill amounted to about N2.2 million, which he said was paid by him, and that records of her treatment were available at the Turkish Hospital where she had been receiving care. According to the minister, available evidence indicated that Habila had spoken with her boyfriend shortly before her death, complaining of persistent nose bleeding, and that she was later found dead after colleagues forced open the door to her room, which had been locked from the inside. Umahi also clarified that the guest house where Habila died was separate from his personal residence, and questioned attempts to hold him personally responsible simply because the facility belonged to the Ministry of Works.
However, Habila's family has firmly opposed the autopsy and requested that the investigation be transferred to Abuja. In a petition dated July 17, 2026, submitted to the Inspector-General of Police through their lawyer, Barrister K.A. Yusuf, the family alleged that despite fulfilling all conditions required by the police, the Ebonyi State Police Command had continued to refuse the release of Habila's body without any legal justification. Speaking to journalists shortly after submitting the petition, Habila's father, Wisdom Tanko Habila, said the family only wanted to give their daughter a proper burial and was not suspecting anyone over her death. "I am not suspecting anybody because death can occur. Even as we are standing here, one can fall and die. It has happened," he said. The family's lawyer urged the IGP to transfer the investigation from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, direct the immediate release of the body, and sanction any officer found to have acted unlawfully.
Despite the family's opposition, the Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that the autopsy is necessary. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, said detectives had visited the scene, obtained statements from relevant persons, and were set to engage the services of a pathologist to conduct a post-mortem examination. According to the police, the examination is considered necessary given the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death. The command also clarified that the deceased and a colleague formed part of the medical team attached to Umahi and had accompanied him to his hometown, where she died in a room within the compound of his residence.
The case has drawn widespread public attention and sparked demands for accountability. The Allied Peoples Movement has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend Umahi pending the outcome of the investigation, while human rights activists and civil society organisations have demanded a transparent and independent probe. However, a coalition of over 300 civil society organisations has cancelled a planned protest against Umahi after reviewing information suggesting that the deceased had underlying health conditions that may have contributed to her death, and noting that the minister had consistently called for an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death. The coalition cautioned against what it described as "trial by media" and urged Nigerians to allow security agencies to conclude their investigations without interference or pressure from public camps.
As the standoff continues, the case has become a test of due process, transparency, and the balance between family rights and the imperative of establishing the truth. Umahi has maintained that he has no hand in Habila's death and has expressed confidence that a forensic autopsy would establish the facts. However, the family has remained firm in their opposition, insisting that no medical examination can bring their daughter back to life. With the Ebonyi State Police Command insisting on the autopsy and the family demanding the release of the body, the Inspector-General of Police now faces the task of resolving the impasse and ensuring that justice is served in a case that has become a litmus test for accountability in Nigeria's public life.
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