The family of late Mary Habila has called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately release her body for burial, insisting they do not want an autopsy and rejecting allegations surrounding her life and death.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on behalf of the family, their lawyer, Barrister Ka Yu, said the press conference became necessary to correct what he described as false narratives that had emerged following Mary Habila’s death on June 27, 2026, in Ebonyi State.
According to the lawyer, Mary Habila was a qualified nurse employed by the David Umahi University of Health Sciences, Uburu, before she was seconded to the office of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, where she had served for more than three years.
He dismissed claims that she was a physiotherapist or had any questionable background, stating that the family possesses her appointment letter and salary records but chose not to make them public to protect her privacy.
“The late Mary Habila was not a physiotherapist. She was a nurse and a civil servant who worked in the services of the university before she was seconded to the minister’s office,” he said.
The lawyer also denied allegations circulating on social media about her character, insisting that she had been living and working in Abuja before her untimely death.
He further disclosed that although the Minister of Works had repeatedly requested that an autopsy be conducted, the family unanimously rejected the proposal due to personal, cultural and traditional reasons.
According to him, the family’s priority is to retrieve her remains and give her a dignified burial.
The lawyer expressed concern that more than two weeks after her death, the body had yet to be released despite the family complying with police procedures.
He announced that the family had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police against the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, seeking immediate intervention.
“The body has not been released without any reasonable explanation. We believe people want to use her death as a pawn for political manipulation, and that is unacceptable,” he said.
Speaking during the briefing, Mary Habila’s father, Habila Wisdom, pleaded with the authorities to release his daughter’s body, saying the family simply wants to bury her.
“I don’t have much to say. All I want is the body of my daughter. We don’t keep the corpse of a young child this long. That is why I am here asking that her body be released so we can bury her,” he said.
He maintained that the family was not accusing anyone of causing her death and reiterated that they had no interest in pursuing an autopsy.
When asked whether he suspected foul play, the grieving father replied that he did not suspect anybody, describing the incident as an unfortunate occurrence.
Also speaking, Anita Bak, who identified herself as Mary Habila’s colleague, described her death as a painful personal loss.
She refuted claims that they had been transported from another location to work under the minister, explaining that both had worked together for years.
Bak clarified that while she is a physiotherapist, the deceased was a nurse who had worked under the minister for over three years and was also employed by the David Umahi University of Health Sciences.
She said the widespread reports describing Mary Habila as a physiotherapist were inaccurate and appealed for respect for the deceased and her grieving family.
