By Opeyemi Adelakun
The family of Mary Habila, the 26-year-old nurse who died at the residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to direct the immediate release of her body for burial.
The appeal was made on Friday during a press briefing at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by the family’s lawyer, Kaile Yusuf, who said all police requirements for the release of the body had been fulfilled.
Habila, who worked at the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, died on June 27 while attached to the minister’s medical team.
Yusuf expressed concern that nearly three weeks after her death, the body remained in police custody despite the family’s compliance with all necessary procedures.
“It is regrettable that, having followed all necessary procedures required by the Nigerian Police to retrieve the body and give her a befitting burial, her body is yet to be released to the family. This is unfortunate,” he said.
The lawyer also dismissed reports describing Habila as a physiotherapist, insisting she was a trained nurse who had previously worked at the David Umahi University of Health Sciences before being deployed to the minister’s office about three years ago.
According to him, employment records, including her appointment letter and salary documents, confirm her status as a civil servant.
Yusuf further alleged that some individuals were attempting to politicise the circumstances surrounding her death, adding that the family had petitioned the IGP over the continued detention of the body.
He maintained that the family had consistently rejected requests for an autopsy on personal, cultural and traditional grounds.
“The family has resolved and is determined not to allow an autopsy because of some personal, cultural and traditional reasons,” he stated.
He also defended Habila’s character, saying she had been working in Abuja with the minister before her death.
“Mary Habila was never a runs girl or whatever. She was working with the minister before her eventful death, and that is the truth,” Yusuf added.
Speaking emotionally at the briefing, Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, appealed for the release of his daughter’s remains.
“All I want is the corpse of my daughter. We don’t keep the corpse of little children for so long. I need the body of my daughter so I can take her home for burial,” he said.
He stressed that the family was not accusing anyone over the circumstances surrounding her death and said they had maintained a cordial relationship with her workplace before the incident.
Also speaking, Anita Baaki, a colleague of the deceased, clarified that she was the physiotherapist, while Habila served as a nurse.
The dispute over the release of the body centres on the demand for an autopsy.
While the family insists it should be released without a post-mortem examination, citing cultural and personal beliefs, the Ebonyi State Police Command and the Minister of Works have maintained that an autopsy is necessary to determine the exact cause of death. Umahi has insisted that the body should not be released until the procedure is conducted.
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