The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has formally requested the Nigeria Police Force to carry out an autopsy on Miss Mary Habila, a staff member who died at his residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, on June 27, 2026.
The request was conveyed in a letter signed by the minister’s legal representatives, Roy O. Umahi and Roy D. Umahi, SAN, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
In the letter, Umahi asked the police to engage qualified forensic pathologists to determine the exact cause of Habila’s death through a comprehensive autopsy.
Habila was a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, and had been deployed on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works headquarters in Mabushi, Abuja.
According to the minister’s lawyers, the deceased passed away in a building located within Umahi’s residence at Umunaga, Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The letter clarified that the building where the incident occurred was not the minister’s personal apartment but a separate accommodation designated for staff members and individuals attached to him.
The lawyers further stated that only two people occupied the building on the night of the incident.
“On the night of her death, the deceased and another lady, a physiotherapist, were the only occupants of the building,” the letter stated.
Umahi also requested that the police should not release Habila’s body to anyone, including her next of kin, until the autopsy and all relevant investigations have been completed.
The deceased’s next of kin was identified as Mr. Tanko Habila Wisdom of Sabon Gari, Nok, in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to the letter, withholding the release of the remains is necessary to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation and prevent speculation surrounding the circumstances of her death.
The minister’s legal team argued that allowing burial before the completion of forensic examinations could compromise efforts to establish the true cause of death.
They therefore appealed to the Nigeria Police Force to treat the matter with urgency to ensure justice and transparency.
The lawyers maintained that a professional forensic examination would provide clarity and help eliminate uncertainty regarding the incident.
As of the time this report was filed, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued any official response or statement regarding Umahi’s request for an autopsy.
