The family of the late Mary Habila, a 26-year-old nurse who died under controversial circumstances in Ebonyi State, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Olatunji Disu, to order the immediate release of her body for burial.
The family also dismissed claims circulating on social media about Habila’s character, insisting that she was a dedicated nurse and civil servant who had never been involved in prostitution or any immoral lifestyle.
The appeal was made on Friday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during a press briefing led by the family’s lawyer, Kaile Yusuf.
Habila’s death has attracted national attention since her body was found on June 27 at a staff chalet within the country home of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Although investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death are still ongoing, the family and the police remain divided over whether an autopsy should be conducted before the body is released.
Speaking during the briefing, Yusuf said the family had fulfilled every requirement requested by the Nigeria Police Force to reclaim Habila’s remains but had waited for almost three weeks without success.
He described the continued detention of the body as painful and unnecessary, saying the delay had prolonged the family’s grief.
“It is regrettable that, having followed all necessary procedures by the family as required by the Nigerian Police to retrieve the body to give her a befitting burial, having stayed long in that process, unfortunately, her body is yet to be released to the family, which is unfortunate,” the lawyer said.
According to him, the family has now petitioned the Inspector-General of Police against the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, asking for urgent intervention to ensure the immediate release of the body.
“And having not been given the body of Mary Habila in Ebonyi State, the family instructed me to write a petition against the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State to the Inspector-General of Police for her body to be released,” Yusuf stated.
The lawyer said the purpose of the briefing was not only to seek justice for the deceased but also to correct what he described as false information being circulated about her identity and profession.
He clarified that Habila was a qualified nurse and not a physiotherapist, contrary to reports published in some sections of the media.
According to him, she previously worked at the David Umahi University of Health Sciences before she was posted to the Office of the Minister of Works, where she served as a civil servant for about three years.
Yusuf said official documents, including her appointment letter and salary records, clearly showed that she was employed by the government and worked as a nurse.
He also rejected allegations questioning the late nurse’s character, describing them as false, offensive and irrelevant to the family’s demand for the release of her body.
“It is at this point that we want to make clear to the world that Mary Habila has never been a runs girl or whatever, and she has been in Abuja working with the minister before her eventful death, and this is the truth,” he said.
The lawyer further disclosed that the family had repeatedly declined requests for an autopsy because of personal, cultural and traditional beliefs.
He said despite pressure from authorities, the family had remained firm in its decision.
“We are here to also ascertain the fact that the Minister has requested time without number for the autopsy of late Mary Habila, but the family has resolved and are determined and standing their ground not to allow it because of some personal, cultural and traditional reasons,” Yusuf added.
An emotional Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, also appealed directly to the Inspector-General of Police to help the family recover the body of his daughter.
Holding back tears, he said all the family wanted was to give her a dignified burial in line with their customs.
“I don’t have much to talk in this case; all I want is the corpse of my daughter. We don’t keep corpse of little children for so long like this. So, that is why I am here again to say this once and for all, I need the corpse of my daughter to take her for burial, that is what I am standing on,” he said.
The grieving father stressed that the family was not accusing anybody of causing Habila’s death.
According to him, the family had maintained a good relationship with her employers and only wanted the authorities to release her remains.
Also speaking during the briefing, one of Habila’s colleagues, Anita Baaki, said she was deeply shocked by the nurse’s sudden death.
She also addressed confusion surrounding the professions of both women, explaining that she, not Habila, was the physiotherapist.
Baaki maintained that Habila worked as a nurse throughout her service with the Ministry of Works.
The circumstances surrounding Habila’s death have remained the subject of public interest since her body was discovered at the minister’s country home in Uburu on June 27.
The incident generated widespread debate on social media, with many Nigerians demanding a thorough investigation into what happened.
However, disagreement soon emerged over whether an autopsy should be conducted before the body is released for burial.
While the family insists it has complied with every police requirement and opposes an autopsy because of personal, cultural and traditional beliefs, the Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that a post-mortem examination is necessary.
According to the police, the nature of the case requires a scientific examination to establish the exact cause of death before the investigation can be concluded.
The command has argued that releasing the body without an autopsy could affect the investigation and make it difficult to determine whether any criminal offence was committed.
Minister of Works David Umahi has also publicly supported the police position.
He has repeatedly appealed to the family to allow medical experts carry out a post-mortem examination, saying it is the only way to establish the true cause of Habila’s death.
Umahi has maintained that he directed that the body should not be released until the autopsy is completed.
The dispute has therefore placed the family’s desire for a prompt burial against the authorities’ insistence on completing forensic investigations.
However, families sometimes oppose such procedures because of religious, cultural or traditional beliefs, creating difficult legal and ethical questions.
As public attention remains focused on the case, the Inspector-General of Police is expected to consider the family’s petition while investigators continue their work.
For now, Habila’s relatives say they are not seeking to blame anyone for her death. Their immediate concern, they insist, is to recover her body and give the young nurse what they describe as a dignified and peaceful burial.