The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has formally requested the Ebonyi police command to conduct an autopsy on Mary Habila, the nurse who d!ed at his residence in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi state on June 27.
Umahi made the request in a letter sent to the state Commissioner of Police by his counsel, Roy Nwaeze, and dated July 15.
Umahi also asked the police not to release Habila’s body to her family until the post-mortem examination is completed, saying the process is necessary to establish the actual cause and circumstances of her de@th.
Habila, an employee of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, and a member of his medical team,was found dead on June 27.
“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.
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 de@th, the deceased and another lady, a physiotherapist, were the only occupants of the building.”
The lawyer said the request for an autopsy, as well as the temporary retention of the body, was made in the interest of justice and to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation. According to him, the measures would also help eliminate speculation surrounding the incident and ensure that any conclusions reached are based on scientific evidence.
“In view of the circumstances surrounding the de@th 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 reads