Emmanuel Obi
The Nigeria Police Force has refused to release the body of physiotherapist Mary Habila for burial, insisting on conducting a forensic autopsy despite her family’s request to withdraw the case and discontinue the investigation.
In an affidavit sworn at the High Court Registry in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on July 13, Mary Habila’s father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, said the family would not consent to an autopsy and was not suspecting any foul play.
He also requested the release of her body for burial and stated that the family would not honour further invitations from the police or the court over the matter.
Habila died on June 27 in Uburu, Ebonyi State. According to the affidavit, she was a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and had been seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works, where she served as a personal nurse to the Minister of Works.
The affidavit stated that the Minister of Works requested an autopsy to determine the cause of her death, but the family appealed for her body to remain intact, describing the decision as their “sincere wishes” and maintaining that they were neither “induced, coerced nor influenced” to make the declaration.
However, police have declined to release the body ahead of the family’s planned July 17 burial in Kaduna, maintaining that a forensic examination is necessary as part of ongoing investigations.
Mary Habila was reportedly found dead at the Minister’s residence in Uburu with blood around her nose and mouth, injuries to her tongue and peeling skin on her thighs.
While the Minister described her as a dedicated staff member and urged the family to allow an autopsy, police sources have reportedly disputed aspects of the account surrounding her presence at the residence, prompting growing public calls for transparency and an independent investigation.
