The Ebonyi State Police Command has insisted that a post-mortem examination will be conducted on the body of 26-year-old physiotherapist, Mary Habila, who died under controversial circumstances at the Uburu residence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, despite strong opposition from her family.
The command said the autopsy is indispensable to establishing the true cause of Habila’s sudden death and ensuring that ongoing investigations are guided by scientific evidence rather than speculation.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, the police disclosed that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a full-scale investigation.
According to the statement, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohaozara Division alerted the command on June 27 after receiving a distress call regarding a medical emergency involving Habila at the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu.
The police said Habila had already been confirmed dead before officers arrived at the hospital.
Investigators disclosed that preliminary findings showed the deceased was among the medical personnel attached to the Minister of Works and had accompanied him to his hometown in Uburu before her death.
Police further revealed that Habila died inside a room within the compound of Umahi’s residence.
The command said detectives have visited the scene, interviewed witnesses and are preparing to engage a pathologist to conduct a forensic post-mortem examination.
Although Habila’s family has objected to an autopsy, the police maintained that the sensitive nature of the case leaves investigators with no choice but to pursue the examination.
According to the command, the presence of the deceased’s family or their authorised representative will be required before the procedure is carried out.
The police assured Nigerians that the investigation would be thorough, transparent and impartial, promising to make public any significant developments as the inquiry progresses.
The latest position by the police comes amid mounting public scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death and follows legal advice from the Ebonyi State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), J.U. Chukwu.
The DPP had advised investigators that only a post-mortem examination could provide credible evidence to determine what caused the young physiotherapist’s sudden and unnatural death.
According to the legal opinion, available evidence showed that Habila was alone when she was found dead inside her apartment.
The legal advice further noted that there was no indication she had been ill or suffered from any known medical condition before her death.
It also disclosed that Habila was found lying naked on the floor with blood stains around her nose and mouth, circumstances the DPP described as raising critical questions that only a forensic examination could answer.
The DPP stated that the central issue confronting investigators remains what caused the otherwise healthy young woman to die so suddenly.
He maintained that a post-mortem examination would provide the scientific basis needed to direct the police investigation, while acknowledging that the police retained the discretion to either proceed with the autopsy or consider the family’s objections.
Mary Habila died on June 27 at Senator Umahi’s residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State. Since news of her death emerged, conflicting accounts surrounding the incident have fuelled nationwide outrage, with civil society groups, opposition figures and concerned Nigerians demanding a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances of her death.
With the police now firmly insisting on a forensic examination, the outcome of the autopsy is expected to play a decisive role in resolving the lingering questions surrounding one of the country’s most controversial deaths in recent months.