By Becky Momodu
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has formally requested the Nigeria Police Force to conduct a comprehensive autopsy on the late Miss Mary Habila before her remains are released for burial.
The request was conveyed in a letter written by the Minister’s solicitors, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Roy O. Umahi Nwaeze, to the police.
According to the letter, 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 in Mabushi, Abuja, died on June 27, 2026, in a building located within the Minister’s residence in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The solicitors clarified that the deceased did not live in the same building as the Minister. Rather, the building was reserved exclusively for members of Umahi’s staff and other persons working with him.
The letter further stated that on the night of her death, Habila and another female occupant, identified as a physiotherapist, were the only people in the building.
Citing the circumstances surrounding the incident, the Minister requested that qualified forensic pathologists be engaged to carry out a scientific and independent autopsy to determine the actual cause and circumstances of Habila’s death.
The legal team also urged the police not to release the deceased’s remains to anyone, including her next of kin, Mr. Tanko Habila Wisdom of Sabon Gari, Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, until the autopsy and all related investigative procedures had been concluded.
According to the letter, the request is intended to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation, eliminate speculation, and ensure that the true cause of death is conclusively established before burial.
The solicitors expressed confidence that the Nigeria Police Force would give the request urgent attention in the interest of justice and the integrity of the investigation.